About a year later the Government Analytic*/ Laboratory was 

 placed under my charge, and the opportunity was thus afforded me of put- 

 ting the views above expressed into practice. Almost immediately some 

 samples of soil, from the part of the Colony particularly referred to, were 

 received for analysis, and then was confirmed the opinion previously put 

 forward that the soil in the neighbourhood was very poor in phosphates, 

 and that, in consequence of this, the fodder there grown would probably 

 be found similarly deficient, and would influence animals feeding upon it 

 in a very serious manner, inasmuch as phosphates were absolutely neces- 

 sary for the formation of bone material. Further investigations were 

 forthwith put in hand : other soils from the Albany Division, and from 

 the neighbouring Division of Humansdorp, were subjected to analysis, and 

 the results served to lend additional confirmation to my previous views. 

 The use of phosphatic fertilisers for the districts named was therefore 

 urged, and it was also suggested that farmers round about should learn 

 to utilise bone manure as generally as possible. 



The time seemed to have come for more decided action; representa- 

 tion was accordingly made to the Government that the primary cause of 

 the deficiency of phosphates in the crops lay in an almost entire absence 

 of the former from the soil, and that this deficiency, it was at least likely, 

 if not absolutely certain, was at the root of all the " lamziekte " that those 

 districts of the Colony were belag plagued with. It was, moreover, 

 pointed out by me how beneficial fuller information respecting the various 

 soils of the Colony would be, and investigations, with the object of elicit- 

 ing some such information were recommended to be undertaken without 

 delay. Assurances of support on the part of the Government were readily 

 given, and in 1893 operations were commenced. The north-eastern por- 

 tion of the Cape Division was first visited, then the Malmesbury Division : 

 after that the Caledon and Bredasdorp Divisions were taken in hand; 

 later on those of Robertson, Swellendam, Riversdale, and Mossel Bay, and 

 ultimately George, Knysna, Uniondale, and Oudtshoorn ; while in the 

 meanwhile, in compliance with reiterated requests, a visit was paid to some 

 of the Eastern Province Divisions before the work was finally stopped by 

 the war, since when it has not yet been resumed. Along its entire 

 course, however, the systematic investigation of the soils of certain districts 

 has been supplemented by numerous casual analyses of specimens taken, as 

 occasion and opportunity offered, from several localities not included up to 

 the present in the regular soil survey. 



With regard to the organisation of a comprehensive scheme of soil in- 

 vestigation, snch as that of which we felt the desirability, it is but sel- 

 dom that an opportunity offers for the satisfactory carrying out of one's 

 ideals; the limitations of funds, of qualified assistants, and of equipment 

 in this case precluded all hope of following up the preconceived plans 

 otherwise thai in a slow and plodding way. The work was commenced 

 by the writer entirely single-handed, but as, with the building up of a 

 then newly-established laboratory, calls on his time increased, a great por- 

 tion of it had, of necessity, to be performed by deputy; never at any 

 time was it possible to spare more than one person for the investigation, 

 so that all that is here recorded may be taken as representing, from first 

 to last, including the minutest details, one man's work during the period 

 comprehended therein. 



