48 



the slope towards the Thomas River. The subsoil was reported to be a 

 clay. No. 23 was taken from the same slope, but beyond the influence of 

 the doleritic ridge : it is a more sandy soil, lighter in colour than No. 22. 

 It was stated that barley and rye did not thrive on the lands represented 

 by it. No. 24 is a sample of doleritic soil lying further to the east. 



On the farm Spanover two samples were taken, one, No. 9, represent- 

 ing the garden soil lying south-west of the homestead, and another, No. 

 10, the grain soil north-east of the latter. No. 11 was a stiff black soil, 

 representing a very productive tract of land whereon potatoes especially 

 were reported to do well. The soil No. 12, collected on Mr. W. H. Grout's 

 farm Anta, was of a sandy character, and intended to be devoted to the 

 cultivation of potatoes. No. 13, from the same farm, represents a rather 

 stiff alluvial soil of good depth. No. 14 was taken from the same slope, 

 but nearer to the river; the soil here is dark in colour and of a more 

 clayey nature than where No. 13 was collected. No. 25 is a sample of 



DIVISIONAL MAP 



or 



CATHCART 



/v 



< \ 



( 

 ? 



soil from cultivated land just below the homestead at Sledmere. The suib- 

 soil at this place was found to be a yellowish clay, while the surrounding 

 surface soil is inclined to be sandy. No. 26 was taken from the same 

 land, but nearer to the bottom of the slope. No. 27, a soil rich, in organic 

 matter, was taken at the bottom of the slope whence the previous two 

 samples were collected. The portions of this slope represented by these 

 three soils differ considerably in their productiveness when used for the 

 same purpose. On the area represented by the last-mentioned sample, 

 wheat, for instance, does not seem to thrive. No. 28 was collected on the 

 farm Clapton. It is a stiff black soil, lying near to the homestead, in 

 the vicinity of which doleritic boulders were noticed. This soil, together 

 with No. 19, typifies the N.N.E. portion of the Division. Cattle are said 

 to be in the habit of licking the watercourses in this portion of tone dis- 

 trict. This fact was thought to be due to the presence of a considerable 

 amount of common salt in the soil; attention was not drawn to this when 



