180 



DIVISION OF STEYNSBURG. 



A similar investigation to that outlined above was made at Thebus, in 

 the Steynsburg Division, a distance of about 160 miles E.S.E. of HOUTC 

 Water. In this case, too, there was a proposal afoot to construct a dam. 

 whereby the farm Zout Kuil and part of Van Vuurens Kraal with ad- 

 jacent lands could be irrigated. As Parliament had voted 150,000 for 

 the purpose, much depended on the suitability of the area. The last- 

 named farm had been under cultivation for close on to half a century, 

 and the occupant prided himself on the returns which he had obtained 

 by means of irrigation. At a point within this cultivated area a set of 

 samples was taken in order to ascertain, if possible, the effect of con- 

 tinuous irrigation on the soil, by comparing the analytical results yielded 

 by the irrigated soil at this spot, which will be called K, with those of 

 samples from the adjacent tracts which had never yet been irrigated. 

 This point, K, was on the opposite side of the railway to that where the 

 dam construction works were situated, and is rather more than three miles 

 below the dam and 1 ^ mile from Thebus railway station ; it constituted, 

 in fact, the head of the area, which it was intended to irrigate. Four 

 samples, L, M, N, and P, were taken at other points in this area, on the 

 farm Zout Kuil, extending altogether over a space about two miles in 

 length. 



The alkaline salts in these five samples were determined in similar 

 manner to that employed with regard to those from Houw Water, only 

 much more completely. 



THEBUS (STEYNSBURG DIVISION) SOILS. 

 In this way the following percentage results were obtained : 



Sodium Sodium Sodium Total Calcium Calcium Magne- Magne- Total soluble >alr.>. 

 chloride, sulpbate. carbon- alkaline sulphate, carbon- sium sium Calculated. Found, 

 ate. salts. ate. sulphate, carbon- 



ate. 



