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in the ordinary Caledou Ruggens or clay soil, and hardly thrive 

 at all on sour veld). The other sample, No. 6, was a dark soil, collected 

 from lands on the opposite side of the homestead, and nearer the main 

 road. From the farm Kweek Kraal sample No. 7 was taken, typical of 

 the poorest lands under cultivation on that farm. Keeping along the right 

 bank of the Kaffir Kuils River, No. 3, a red sandy clay, was taken from 

 the plateau to the south-west of the farm Honigfontein, and a little fur- 

 ther west sample No. 4 was taken a soil very similar in appearance to 

 the one just preceding from the farm Water Gat, or Zwart Heuvel. 



Before crossing the high watershed between Spiegel Rivier and Platte 

 Kloof, two samples were taken from the former place No. 10, a black 

 loamy garden soil, and No. 11, a loose yellowish clay, which is said to be 

 an excellent soil for sweet potatoes. No. 9, from Oude Bosch, is a soil 

 similar to No. 10, more or less typical of the soil at Kliphoogte, Rem- 

 hoogte, Vergenoegd, on to Novo, where, however, the veld is not quite so 

 sour. On all four farms tobacco* grows fairly well. 



From Vette Rivier a loose sandy soil, No. 8, was taken, as well as 

 Nos. 12 and 13 from lands in the valley on the farm Novo. Both of the 

 latter are rather dark sandy soils, differing in shade and fertility, the latter 

 being, it was said, somewhat less productive. Continuing along the right 

 bank of the Kaffir Kuils River, northward towards the mountains, one 

 passes over some very fine farms, and several varieties of soil ; typical 

 samples, Nos. 14, 15, and 16, taken from the farms Klein River and Kruis 

 River, and from lands on the hill slopes north of the village of Riversdale, 

 respectively, were selected. No. 17, a loose clay from the farm Assegaai 

 Bosch, taken north-east of the house, resembled the soil from the Caledon 

 Ruggens. This resemblance is also noticeable in the case of the area be- 

 tween the last-mentioned farm and Bosjesfontein, where No. 18, a rather 

 poor soil, was selected. Perhaps one of the largest grain farms in the 

 district is Middelste Drift; No. 19, a rich red Karroo soil, is typical of 

 the lands under cultivation on this farm; no manure whatever is used. 

 The amount of potash yielded by this soil, it may here be remarked, was, 

 with one exception, higher than that of any other soil in the Division. 

 Quite as good a soil, if not more fertile, is sample No. 21, taken from lands 

 on the hills above the level of the Gouritz River bed, while No. 20 is 

 typical of that below in the basin of the river; both these samples were 

 obtained on the farm Zandfontein. No. 20 is apparently largely in- 

 fluenced by the fertile silt carried down from Oudtshoorn and the Karroo 

 by the Gamka and Olifants Rivers, and subsequently by the Gouritz, as 

 noted in connection with the Mossel Bay soils.* At Onverwacht and all 

 farms similarly situated on either side of the river, soil more or less of 

 the nature of No. 21 is found. This almost dark red Karroo soil is ex- 

 tremely productive, and does very well without manure, but, being a very 

 warm soil, crops shrivel up very soon in seasons of drought. There being 

 so much of this good soil available, bright prospects may be awaiting this 

 district as a whole, and more particularly this section thereof, if only the 

 water question, which indeed is the great difficulty, could be solved, either 

 by dam making, or by more extensive irrigation by means of water raised 

 from the Gouritz River on to the fertile plains above. Before the advent 

 of the railway, farmers in this vicinity, having no market within easy 

 reach, nor any means sufficiently remunerative of disposing of their crops, 

 were reluctant to venture on any extensive irrigation schemes. Under 

 such circumstances, more extensive sowing was carried on during dry 

 years all along the less productive slopes of the Langeberg Range, where 



* See page 91. 



