131 



At Vryheid, about 11 J miles south-west of the village of Swellendam, 

 a stiff clay soil, No. 17, was obtained, from lands to the right of the 

 main road. Directing a course thence towards Swollendam, the farm 

 Kluitjes Kraal, on the right of the Breede River, was touched at. From 

 this farm a stiff clay, No. 18, similar to that from Vryheid, was pro- 

 cured. The last farm visited on this tour was Klippe River, just at the 

 entrance to the village, along the main road. Here a sandy loam, No. 

 19, was taken from ground adjoining an area under tobacco culture. 



On a subsequent journey, taking the tract of country between Swel- 

 lendam and Zuurbrak, and between the Langeberg Mountains and the 

 Breede River, one primary soil, No. 21, was collected at Distelsfontein ; 

 it was a fair, slightly warm soil, somewhat resembling the soil of C'ale- 

 don, and moderately retentive of moisture. One " doom " soil, No. 23, 

 was taken at Bonteboks Kloof, and two alluvial soils, No. 20 and 22, 

 from Appelsbosch and Oude Post respectively. 



Proceeding in a south-easterly direction, along the Port Beaufort 

 road, a diversion was made at Kinko. Here, on the small watershed, 

 was found the most fertile type of soil met with between this and Gale- 

 don. This class of soil extends over Koerannie, Kinko, Uitvlugt, Harte- 

 beeste River, and other farms eastward towards the Upper Slang River. 

 The formation is not such denuded slate as is generally to be seen, the 

 overlying sedimentary beds forming undulating hills capped by flat sand- 

 stone and iron " kopjes." On the higher ridges above Karnemelk River 

 there are a number of deposits of clay. The soil is pebbly in the best 

 lands, with substratum of lime, and very retentive of moisture, although 

 not clayey. The samples from Kinko (No. 24), Uitvlugt (No. 25), and 

 Karnemelks River (No, 35), sufficiently represent this area. Southwest 

 of this, along the Breede River as far as Paarden Kloof, is a stretch of 

 " geil-grond " a fairly good but stony and warm soil, in which, except 

 during a season of abundant rainfall, the crops shrivel up. During the 

 drought that had continued for three years, the yield had been insignifi- 

 cant, and supplies had to be transported from the Caledon Division, a 

 long day's journey. The formation is bare vertical shale, with outcrops 

 of limestone; in the northern and southern portions there is some iron- 

 stone; the valleys are precipitous. One sample typical of this area, was 

 taken on the farm Zwartklip, near to Michiels Kraal. The gravels on 

 this farm, and at Rhenosterberg, mentioned below, bear some resem- 

 blance to that already noticed at Klippe Drift, Bredasdorp Division. 

 The fertility, both here and at Uitvlugt, seoms to be chiefly owing to 

 the presence of available lime in comparatively large amount. 



Keeping along the ridge, a series of undulating plateaus are crossed, 

 with extensive tracts of fertile land, alternately " zwart turf," and red 

 gravel, with a subsoil cf limestone. On the west bank of the Slang 

 River the soil becomes entirely a red deep gravel, with little limestone, 

 until, on ascending the other side, one comes to gravelly flats with oc- 

 casional " turf." This continues throughout Zandfontem and Jakhalsfon- 

 tein to Duine Rug, where the soil becomes more sandy. Towards Melk- 

 hout Kraal, along the Duivenhoks River, the soil is very sandy. A 

 sample of " zwart turf," No. 27, was secured at Waterkloof, adjoining 

 Kadies Vallei, another of gravelly soil, No. 28, at Rhenosterfontein, and 

 one of " broken " soil, No. 29, at Duine Rug. 



Between this area and Heidelberg the farms were very much sub- 

 divided, and several varieties of soil were under cultivation. No. 30 

 represents a " broken " gravel from Goedemans Kraal, on the border of 

 Wagendrift; No. 31 is what is locally known as "Karroo" soil, from 

 Asch Kraal. No. 33 is a hill soil from Hooi Kraal, and No. 32 a river 

 soil from the farm Duivenhoks River, outside Heidelberg. 



