AND ITS RELATION TO ANIMAL LIFE 77 



Therefore one has good reason for saying that 

 at least one of the deficienciesin the coast herb- 

 age is iron. 



f In this same coast country it is recognized 

 that while a few years ago sheep had plenty of 

 yolk in the wool, to-day it is a noticeable fact 

 that the wool is very deficient in yolk, so much 

 so that it is a matter of common talk among the 

 farmers. 



In Sheep, by Youatt, under " Yolk," he men- 

 tions that a French chemist had analysed the 

 yolk taken from hundreds of sheep, and in 

 every case had found various forms of potash, 

 and the chemist comes to the conclusion that 

 since potash is so constantly found in the yolk, 

 it plays some important part in it. 



The Cape Agricultural Department has 

 analysed a very large number of samples of 

 soil, and in all that I have seen, there is a 

 marked deficiency of potash. 



There can be no doubt that this deficiency 

 has been brought about by the quantity of 

 potash carried off by the wool during the many 

 years the sheep have been grazing on this land, 

 and further by the system in general use, for 

 protection against jackals of kraaling or 



