idea of the grain country from Darling to Saldanha Bay, and thence to 

 Hopefield. The intermediate sandy country is mainly devoted to cattle 

 and sheep farming. 



Regarding the non-manuring of the lands, the impression conveyed is 

 that manuring is dispensed with wherever possible, as much owing te the 

 want of a sufficiency of stable and cattle manure, as on account of the re- 

 puted fertility of the soil ; but the fact cannot be too strongly emphasised, 

 that the richest, soil is bound to be impoverished in course of time, if cul- 

 tivated without manuring, and it behoves agriculturists to guard their 

 interests, and attend to the quality of their lands, and merchants to place 

 within reach of the farmer artificial fertilisers at as reasonable rates as 

 possible, so that the farmer may learn their value, and the whole agricul- 

 tural community, as also the country at large, may profit by the experi- 

 ence. 



The final trip of this series was undertaken with a view to obtain 

 samples from the St. Helena Bay district, and, at the same time, to supply 

 the omissions of previous journeys, and thus render the investigation more 

 complete. St. Helena Bay, it need scarcely be said, is an important grain- 

 growing district, and the land, according to the farmers, is so fertile that 

 it can be cultivated continuously without manure, the chief obstacle to suc- 

 cess being the low rainfall. 



The samples collected on this journey are detailed below. A light 

 clay soil, No. 6, was taken on the farm Reeboksfontein, about five miles 

 north of Malmesbury. No further samples were collected in this neigh- 

 bourhood, as, with those previously collected, the work had been practi- 

 cally completed as regards the Middle Zwartland farms. Proceeding 

 northwards, a stiff clay soil, No. 15, was collected on the farm Geeldam, 

 a portion of Holle Rivier, seven miles from Moorreesburg in a north- 

 easterly direction. About nine miles north-west of this Nos. 38 and 39 

 were taken on Mr. M. Karsten's farm Bosjesmaus Kloof ; the former of 

 these two is a light clay, the latter a very stony clay soil. In Mr. 

 Karsten's experience No. 38 is the poorer. On the farm Breek Muur, 

 which borders on the Berg River, and lies six miles north-west of Bosjes- 

 mans Kloof, sample No. 40 was taken. Here the soil is more sandy in 

 character, being, in fact, a sandy loam. Eight miles south-west of this, 

 on the farm Leliefontein, sample No. 41 was taken; this is a stiff white 

 clay, somewhat stony, but said to be very fertile. The lime and nitrogen 

 in this soil are satisfactory in amount, and the potash fair, but phosphates 

 are deficient. On the same farm, about 2J miles further south-west, 

 sample No. 42, a sandy loam, was collected. The farmers in this part 

 use stable manure, and also guano and artificial fertilisers in small quan- 

 tities. 



Before reaching the St. Helena Bay area, the farm Eeuza-amheid, 

 about 16 or 17 miles north-west of Hopefield, was visited. Two samples, 

 Nos. 52 and 53, were taken here; the former on the portion of the farm 

 known as Muishondfontein, and the latter about two miles further west 

 on Eenzaamheid proper. The soil here is sandy, resembling that of 

 Spanjaardsbosch. The farm Eenzaamheid, and other farms forming the 

 inland boundary of the Field-Cornetcy of St. Helena Bay, are situated 

 on a low-lying, sandy flat, whilst, with the exception of a narrow etrip 

 of similar sandy flat along the coastline, the other farms lie at elevations 

 of probably 500 to 700 feet, upon and around granitic hills, the highest 

 of which may be 900 feet. The soils of this part are, therefore, moetly 

 granitic. TH"e first sample taken here, No. 54, was from the faj-m 

 Nooitgedacht, portion of Patrysberg, about five miles north-east of Vreden- 

 burg; and seven miles north-west of this, on th& farm Schuibjee Klip, 



