40 



soil; the sample was taken from the vineyard iiorth-west of the house. 

 No. 10 was a very stiff clay, also from the vineyard west of the house, and 

 proved to be fairly good in practice. In the collection of these four sam- 

 ples the soil for six inches nearest the surface was discarded, and the next 

 twelve inches collected for examination. A glance at the analytical 

 tables will show that the first three of these soils exhibit an all-round lack 

 of plant food, but that No. 10 is distinctly better than those in both lime 

 and potash : it may therefore be said that to this extent chemical analysis 

 here again confirms practical experience. 



Samples 11, 12, 13 and 14 were taken from the farm Maastricht, 

 lying S.S.W. of the village of Durbanville. Rust had worked great havoc 

 amongst the crops for three consecutive years, but the season previous to 

 the collection of the samples had witnessed a remarkable immunity from 

 attack. Samples 11 and 12 were virgin soils, taken at a distance of about 

 3J miles from Durbanville. Nos. 13 and 14 were taken from cultivated 

 areas which had been infested with Erysiphe graminis in the wheat crops ; 

 these two samples were collected some time subsequent to Nos. 11 and 12 7 

 and the disease was then in full swing. The next farm visited was Die- 

 mersdal, and here too samples were taken on two different occasions. 

 Here also a visitation of rust, similar to that experienced at Maastricht,. 

 had taken place : two years before the farm was first visited for the col- 

 lection of soils the entire crop had been destroyed, but during the suc- 

 ceeding season the crop had not been affected at all. Nos. 20 and 21 were 

 virgin soils taken at a mean distance of about 2J miles north of Durbaii- 

 ville. No. 19 was taken on a later occasion, and under similar conditions 

 to Nos. 13 and 14. Nos. 17 and 18 were also collected from lands where 

 the grain had been badly affected at the time with the above-mentioned 

 parasitic disease. At Vrymansfontein, about 3J miles N.N.W. of Dur- 

 banville, samples 27 and 28 were taken, the former from a hill-side, the 

 latter from low lying ground. No. 29 was collected from a hill-side at 

 Eondeboschjesberg, 4-i miles N.N.E. of Durbanville, and Nos. 22 and 23, 

 from the farm Phesante Kraal, somewhat over three miles N.N.E. of the 

 village : of these two soils, the first was taken from a hill slope, the second 

 from a valley, No. 24 being taken from the same farm further east. Two 

 soils were collected on the farm Eversdal, about 1| miles from Durban- 

 ville. 



On most, if not on all, of these farms, the principle of applying 

 manure in accordance with the needs of the soil and crop seemed to be 

 entirely ignored : to the land adjacent to the homestead farmyard manure 

 was, as a rule, applied, while guano was carted to lands at greater dis- 

 tances, or in less accessible localities, hillsides, for instance. It was all a 

 question of convenience. Only in one case, that of the farm Phesante 

 Kraal, was the use of artificial fertilisers practised. Thus sample No. 20, 

 although a virgin soil, represents a type usually worked with farmyard 

 manure, and No. 21 one on which guano is employed; and it is a remark- 

 able fact that the lands represented by this latter saanple were overrun 

 with Eumex acetosefla, or Steenbok zuuring, as the farmers call it, from 

 which noxious weed No. 20 was entirely free. There were general com- 

 plaints amongst agriculturists with regard to the trouble caused by thia 

 weed, and its marvellous persistence on certain tracts, and absence from 

 certain others seemed to be worth investigation. 



In the more northerly portion of the Division, commonly known as 

 Koeberg, samples were taken from valleys on each of the farms Ongegund 

 and Vissers Hok, and one from the top of a small hill on the Crown land 

 (outspan) north of Vissers Hok. Two virgin soils were collected from hill 

 sides on the farm Hooge Kraal, No. 33 being found by experience to be 

 the more productive of the two. Kraalbosch considered locally to be a 

 sign of richness of soil grows on the soil represented by No. 33, which ia 



