22 Transactions of the South African Philosophical Society. 



those of the Table Mountain series. While the proportions of lime, 

 potash, and phosphoric oxide practically never exceed -1 per cent, in 

 the sandstone soils, they rarely fall below that figure in the typical 

 soils of the Bokkeveld series. The average percentages of plant food 

 in these eighteen soils work out as follows : — 



Lime 387 



Potash -231 



Phosphoric oxide 'llS 



It is difficult to say, in default of a previous thorough investigation 

 of soils which are known to be productive in this Colony, what pro- 

 portions of plant food may be considered to render a soil either 

 chemically rich or of normal fertility ; but, basing our opinions on 

 European and American standards, we may affirm that, while the sand- 

 stone soils show an all-round poverty, our analyses reveal the average 

 Bokkeveld soil to be satisfactorily provided with all of the three 

 essential inorganic elements of plant food. 



Just here we touch upon a somewhat curious feature. As far as 

 can be gathered, the soils in Table VII. represent undoubted sand- 

 stone soils, and those in Table YIII. purely Bokkeveld soils, but in 

 various localities a number of soils have been taken from near the 

 line of junction between the Table Mountain and Bokkeveld series. 

 In some cases the underlying rock belongs to the former series, in 

 others to the latter, but in both cases I have noticed a peculiarity in 

 the composition of these "junction " soils, the nature of which will 

 become evident upon glancing through the next table. 



IX. BOKKEVELD NEAR JUNCTION WITH TABLE MOUNTAIN 

 SANDSTONE; OE VICE VERSA. 



Serial 

 No. 



Division. 



Farm. 



Fine 



Earth. 



Water. 



Organic 



Matter. 



Lime. 



Potash. 



Phos- 

 phoric 

 Oxide. 



130 

 131 

 132 



Ladismith ... 

 Robertson ... 



Sweliendam 

 Worcester ... 



Papenkuilsfontein 

 Donkerkloof 



60-5^ 



901 



80-9 



70-2 



71-1 



64-7 



62-5 



83-4 



81-6 



93-8 



770 



•64 



108 



•65 



•98 



1-20 



•90 



200 



116 



•69 



•57 



•39 



2^38 

 618 

 4-33 

 4-52 

 6^45 

 363 



iro3 



612 

 314 

 301 

 2^01 



•056 

 •064 

 •032 

 •016 

 •038 

 •050 

 •074 

 •040 

 •050 

 •022 

 •024 





136 

 126 

 180 

 147 

 125 

 078 

 210 

 250 

 113 

 105 

 077 



•042 

 •061 

 •068 



133 



Harmonie I 



050 



134 

 135 

 136 

 137 

 138 

 139 



HetKruis Pad 



HetGoed Geloof... 



Barrydale 



De Dooms 



Klein Straat 



•079 

 •074 

 •201 

 ■096 

 •049 

 •054 



140 



Ezeljagt 



•052 



I regret that not more than eleven soils are available for the 

 purpose of illustrating the point involved ; it will, however, be seen 

 that, while these soils resemble those of the Table Mountain series 

 in regard to the amounts of lime and phosphoric oxide contained. 



