139 



The greater part of the Uniondale Division consists of valleys of 

 Bokkeveld shales, and hills of Table Mountain sandstone. It resembles, 

 therefore, many of the other divisions of the Colony in which rocks of the 

 Table Mountain and Bokkeveld series occupy the most prominent part. 

 Hence it may be anticipated that the Uniondale soils will exhibit similar 

 characteristics to those of, for instance, the Caledon Division, and a large 

 extent of the Bredasdorp and Swellendam Divisions. And, on the whole, 

 where no modifying influences are exerted, we find this to be the case. 

 Into this area of shales and sandstones there protrudes, from the Oudts- 

 hoorn Division, along the Olifants River banks, a wedge of the Uitenhage 

 series, and this gives a proportion of lime to the soils in the vicinity, that 

 serves as a preliminary indication to the traveller from Uniondale or Wil- 

 lowmore, that the Oudtshoorn boundary is being approached. It is not, 

 however, until thai boundary is actually crossed that the radical change 

 becomes fully perceptible. Reference was made to this when dealing 

 with the soils of Oudtshoorn.* 



Entering the UniondaJe Division from George, sample No. 1 was pro- 

 cured on the farm Kamnassie Wagen Drift, about 5| miles W.S.W. of 

 Uniondale. This soil does not properly belong to the Long Kloof class, f 

 nor does No. 2, t&ken from the farm Gold Diggings, 5J miles in a south- 

 westerly direction from Uniondale. Of these two soils the former lies on 

 the Bokkeveld formation, and the latter on the sandstone: the difference 

 in chemical composition, to the disadvantage of the sandstone soil, is 

 clearly seen from the table of analyses. 



Very broadly speaking, the Uniondale soils may be classified into 

 two groups, namely, the Long Kloof soils, derived from rocks of the Table 

 Mountain series, and the soils of the Bokkeveld series, which more resemble 

 the soil that characterises the Karroo. The Long Kloof, it is true, itself 

 presents two varieties of soil, for " sour veld " is met with along the 

 southern side of the kloof ; but, as this class of soil had already been repre- 

 sented by samples collected in the George and Knysna Divisions, only 

 sweet Long Kloof soils were taken for analysis, namely Nos. 4, 5, 6, 7, and 

 8. On ail these soils the rhenoster bush abounds. North of the Long 

 Kloof, and parellel to it, is another kloof, known as the Kouga, the soils 

 of which are practically similar to those of the Long Kloof. For this 

 reason samples of Kouga soils were not taken for special analysis. 



Travelling in a north-easterly direction from Uniondale, and passing 

 from the sandstones to the Bokkeveld series, the character of the soil 

 changes, and approximates to that of the Karroo. Nowhere, however, 

 does it assimilate closely to the true Karroo soil, judging from the flora; 

 rhenoster bush continues to thrive, though less abundantly than in the 

 Long Kloof, whereas the Ganna (Salsola aphylla) so distinctive a mark 

 of Karroo soil, is entirely absent. These facts are easily understood, when 

 the small proportions of lime in these Uniondale soils are taken into 

 account. The absence of the rhenoster bush and the luxuriance of the 

 Ganna are generally as remarked in connection with the soils of Oudts- 

 hoorn* indications that lime is present in good proportion. From this 

 area No. 3 was collected on the farm Uitvlugt, about four miles north- 

 east of Uniondale. At Oude Post, six miles further on in the same direc- 

 tion, another sample, No. 9, was taken, and on the farm Dwaas, 17 miles 

 from Uniondale, No. 10 was procured. These samples which contain 

 rather more potash than the purely sandstone soils were all taken from 

 a band of Bokkeveld which extends between the sandstone over these 

 three farms. The soils are rather coarse in texture, and both the above 



* Hee page 9G. f See page 57. 



