13 



From the above results it is perfectly clear that the so-called lime 

 soils in the Kobertson and Montagu Districts hardly deserve this name. 

 Here one frequently hears farmers talk about a limestone and a layer 

 of limestone, where there is very little lime. This is, for instance, the case 

 in 226, 306, 396, 61a, 71a, and 716. I left the general remarks in these 

 cases just as they had been made on the spot, notwithstanding the low 

 percentage of lime found by analysis. This should be noted. I wished 

 hereby to illustrate all the more clearly the wrong opinion which is generally 

 entertained about these soils. The so-called limestones are usually hard 

 and of a reddish colour. They are simply more or less decomposed clay- 

 slate (nabank). On weathering, this slate, which contains a fair amount 

 of lime, gets a whitish till reddish coating of lime, which causes the false 

 impression. 



That the soil in certain cases and here in very restricted areas some- 

 times is very rich in lime, is proved by 486, 536, 576, 686, 696, 78a, 786, 

 79a, and 796. These nine cases are, however, the only ones out of the 

 157 analyses where over 10 per cent, of lime was found. 



From the analyses it will be clear that practically always much more 

 lime was found at the greater depth than nearer the surface. 



In any case (with a few rare exceptions) there is not sufficient lime 

 in the soils to cause any serious difficulty in reconstituting the local vine- 

 yards on suitable American stocks. Practically all the alluvial soils 

 along the rivers in these districts contain too little lime to cause the grafted 

 vines to suffer from chlorosis. Thus nothing can be said on this score 

 against the chance of success of Riparia Gloire de Montpellier in these 

 soils. 



According to the report recently brought out by the Government 

 Commission on American Stocks, the difficulties in reconstituting the 

 vineyards in these soils on suitable American stocks are not caused by too 

 large an amount of lime in the soil, but are due to other causes. It will 

 be advisable to read the report on this point. 



In order to find out definitely which are the most suitable stocks 

 for these parts, I have this year started seven experimental plantations 

 of the best American vines in these districts. After about five years one 

 will know more or less which stocks will be unsuitable. After some ten 

 years one will, with a fair certainty, be able to say which stocks answer 

 definitely. These American stocks will be grafted as soon as possible 

 with the principal varieties of grapes grown in these districts, in order to 

 find out which stock is the best for each variety of grape. 



Without being able to affirm this definitely, I am nevertheless con- 

 vinced that there are good reasons for thinking that Aramon Rupestris 

 Ganzin No. 1 will answer in nearly all soils of these districts. With Jacquez 

 and Metallica one should here be extremely cautious, especially in the 

 Karroo soils. 



