28 Transactions of the South African Philosophical Society. 



Lime -299 



Potash -181 



Phosphoric oxide '087 



Not many analyses have been made of soils representative directly 

 and solely of recent superficial deposits. Two samples, one of which 

 is a type of the blown sands that cover the Cape Flats, yielded the 

 results given below : — 



XIV. SAND DOWNS. 



Serial 

 No. 



Division. 



Farm. 



Fine 

 Earth. 



Water. 



Organic 



Matter. 



Lime. 



Potash. 



Phos- 

 phoric 

 Oxide. 



192 

 193 



Knysna 



Ste'llenbosch 



Sidgefleld 



Eerste River ... 



96-4 

 981 



■56 



1-71 



•090 

 •066 



•050 -051 

 010 -003 



Both of these, it wall be seen, are very poor in plant food generally. 



Of quite a different type are the silts transported, some of them 

 over distances of hundreds of miles, by streams and rivers. The 

 composition of our river silts is far too vast a subject to discuss at 

 this stage, but it is one that calls for much close study and patient 

 investigation. Silts are proverbially fertile — a circumstance which is 

 due not only to their chemical composition but to their mechanical 

 condition as well. To this the Oudtshoorn Division, whose soils are 

 so largely made up of the silts and clays brought down from the 

 Karroo by the Gamka and Olifants Elvers, owes its productiveness. 

 Amongst all the soils that have been analysed in the Government 

 laboratories none occupy a higher place than those of the Oudtshoorn 

 Division, and much of the rich soil of that area is now being carried 

 away into the sea by the Gouritz Eiver, especially at times of disas- 

 trous flood, although some of it is retained and deposited- in the 

 Mossel Bay and Eiversdale Divisions as the river passes through 

 them on its seaward course. 



Eleven analyses of such river deposits have been made by means 

 of the standard method, with the results below given : — 





XV. ALLUVIAL SILTS AND RIVER 



DEPOSITS. 











Serial 

 No. 



Division. 



Eiver. 



Farm. 



Fine 

 Earth. 



Water. 



Organic 

 Matter. 



Lime. 



Potash. 



Phos- 

 phoric 

 Oxide. 



194 

 195 



Gordonia ... 



Albert '.'.'. 



Prieska 



Kimberley 



Ladismith 



Swellendam 



Knysna 



Libode 



Orange 



Vaal ...'.".'.!".! 



Upington 



100 



100 



100 



100 

 91-5 

 88^2 

 650 

 97-5 

 97-2 

 971 

 97-2 



3-23 



1-68 



3-46 



5-99 



250 



6-29 



•93 



•92 



•64 



3 05 



2-73 



349 



205 



4-42 



14-81 



3-34 



507 



4 04 



439 



3-59 



11-92 



16-5 



•582 

 •400 

 1372 

 1-444 

 ■278 

 -346 

 •332 

 •344 

 •220 

 •544 

 •520 





093 

 065 

 042 

 473 

 108 

 094 

 166 

 187 

 146 

 105 

 171 



_ 



061 



052 



196 

 197 



198 

 199 



Odendalstroom 

 Zeekoebaard ... 

 Warrenton 



Buffelsvallei ... 

 Zeekoegatsdrift 

 Zevenfontein ... 

 Matjesfontein... 

 Isinuka 



149 

 221 



074 

 070 



200 

 201 

 202 

 203 

 204 



Buffels 



Touws 



Keurbooms 

 St. John's 



106 

 097 

 082 

 110 

 137 



