112 



there is the area generally known as the Berg or Zuurveld, lying to the 

 north of the village of Kiversdale, and parallel to the Langeberg Moun- 

 tains. Little sowing is done, but the soil, derived as it is from the sand- 

 stone of the Langeberg Range, needs a good deal of manure, a. usual- 

 feature with soils of such origin. Secondly, the stretch of country termed 

 the Ruggens; it is the intermediate belt which runs along south of the 

 Zuurveld, and is situated chiefly oil the geological formation known as 

 the Bokkeveld series. Within this belt most of the sowing is carried on, 

 and it is here that the best results are obtained. Lastly, to the south 

 of the Ruggens are the sand dunes all along the coast; these dunes are 

 hardly used, if indeed at all, for sowing purposes. 



I I.-' 



<' 



HOE* OU/YffHOK3 

 RIVIER 



DIVISIONAL MAP Or 



RIVERSDALE 



Proceeding in a south-easterly direction from the village of Heidel- 

 berg, the farm Oude Muragie was first visited, and a loose clay soil, No. 

 1, was sampled, somewhat similar to the soil of the Ruggens in the Cale- 

 don Division. Soil of this nature is also found at Koega. and at Krans 

 Rivier. South of this farm are the sand dunes, extensive loose sandy 

 tracts, stretching for miles along the coast line, past the mouth of the 

 Gouritz River, on to< Mossel Bay and Brak River, and serving as a splen- 

 did pasturage, principally for cattle. As already observed, very little 

 or no sowing is carried on here. 



About four miles to the north-east, sample No. 2, a loose clay soil, 

 was taken from the farm Jan Pienaar's Rivier. From this point the 

 nature of the soil varies very much until the farm Brak River is reached, 

 where two samples were selected, No. 5 from the side of a kloof destitute 

 of aloes (which seem to flourish better in the red Karroo soil than 



