47 



expedient, therefore, to concede, to a greater extent, at any rate, than 

 would otherwise have been the case, to the wishes of the individual far- 

 mers of the district in visiting special localities, and in. taking samples 

 from places selected by them. At the same time, samples representative 

 of the different types of soil occurring in the Division were also collected. 



The soil of the Cat-heart Division, compared with that of Komgha, 

 which will be dealt with subsequently, is not so micaceous, but is, on the 

 other hand, more calcareous. Dolerite, although largely present, does 

 not appear as plentiful as in the Kom'lia Division. The Cathcart soils 

 seem to be naturally derived from the upper rocks of the Karroo system. 



No. 1, a sample of black loamy valley soil, was collected from the 

 farm The Dales. It appears to extend to a. depth of about eighteen 

 inches, and rests on a subsoil of yellow clay. The veld on both sides of 

 this valley is reported to be " sweet." No. 2 represents the hill-side sail 

 of the same locality. These two soils, together with Nos. 17, 18, 19 and 

 20, are representative of the area known as the Bontebok Vlakte, the 

 chief grain-producing portion of the Cathcart Division, and stretching 

 over practically the whole of its south-eastern part. 



Nos. 3 to 8 were collected on the farm Exwell Park. Above the 

 homestead is a valley whence samples 3 and 4 were taken : as it was in- 

 tended to use this land for an orchard, those samples were taken from 

 the mixed contents of holes about 22 inches deep in each case. By thus 

 departing from the usual method of soil-collecting already detailed, a 

 better idea of the suitability of the soil for orchard purposes would be 

 obtained. Physically No. 4 differs from No. 3 in being slightly more 

 clayey. No. 5, a sample of clayey soil rich in organic matter, was taken 

 from ploughed land just above a lately constructed dam. The subsoil 

 here was of a more sandy nature. The soil represented by this sample is 

 capable of retaining a large amount of waterj due to the proportion of 

 clay and organic matter present therein. No. 6 represents a mixture of 

 surface and subsoil from the patch just referred to. No. 7 is a black soil 

 taken from lands below the homestead and adjacent to the railway line. 

 No. 8, which is also a black soil, represents the soil of the Victoria Or- 

 chard. This land had been in constant use for some years, and was re- 

 ported to be very fertile, mealies, oats, and wheat being amongst the 

 crops successfully borne during the last three years. These six soils 

 represent the eastern portion of the Waku valley, tlie main fruit-produ- 

 cing area of the Cathcart Division. The soils of this part of the country 

 contain a large amount of calcium carbonate, which is visible in the form 

 of " drip lime." 



No. 19, taken from the farm Stoneridge, represents the valley soil 

 lying between the homestead on that farm and the Thomas River. No. 

 18 is representative of the hill-side soil near the homestead. No. 17 was 

 taken from cultivated land am the same farm for the purpose of compari- 

 son with Nos. 18 and 19 : the land from which it was taken had borne 

 oats and mealies and, to judge from the analytical figures, cultivation 

 had left its mark in a diminution of the stock of available phosphoric 

 oxide. It was intended to utilise this soil for grain, but in that event 

 it would obviously stand in great need of a phosphatic fertiliser.* No. 

 20, was taken from a sandy soil, situated behind the homestead and pro- 

 posed to be used as a vineyard, a purpose for which it did not appear un- 

 suitecl : it proved to be rather poorly supplied with phosphates. 



No. 21 was collected, on the farm Inverthoni, from one of the older 

 river terraces of the Thomas River. No. 22, a sample of black soil, was 

 taken on the farm Blackpool, just below a ridge of doleritic boulders on 



*Cf. Prof. MacOwan's remarks relative to lack of phosphates in grain soils at 

 Durbanville, quoted on page 45. 



