30 Transactions of the South Africaii Philosophical Society. 



The value of agricultural developraent is slowly dawning upon the 

 people of this Colony ; quite a new interest is being taken in farm- 

 ing pursuits, and not a few look upon the agriculturist as the only 

 man who can re-establish the national prosperity, and place it on a 

 firmer and permanent basis. Surely, then, if ever there was a time 

 for more than ordinary energy in the direction of developing agricul- 

 tural resources, it is now ; now, while the country is pulling itself 

 together after having passed through an acute financial crisis ; now, 

 while every one is anxiously on the watch for the opening up of 

 any possible means of emergence from this commercial depression. 

 Within the whole range of agriculture there is scarcely any matter 

 so fundamental to its successful practice, and so radically associated 

 with a correct apprehension of scientific theory as a study of the soil 

 and its requirements ; in fact, as Professor Hilgard, of the University 

 of California, and Director of that State's Agricultural Experiment 

 Station, remarks — in the preface to a work on soils which has only 

 just issued from the press, and will doubtless soon come to be 

 regarded as classic — speaking of the investigation of soils with a 

 view to the determination of their adaptation, permanent value, and 

 the best means of cultural improvement : '* It is not easy to imagine 

 a subject of higher direct importance to the physical welfare of 

 mankind, whose very existence depends on the yearly returns 

 drawn by cultural labour from the soil." '•' This, then, is my excuse 

 for trespassing on your indulgence with an incomplete record ; the 

 hope that, attention having thus been drawn to its importance and 

 value, and interest awakened, or stimulated, in the results derived 

 therefrom, the investigation may speedily be resumed with greatly 

 augmented energy, and pursued with a patient earnestness of pur- 

 pose that will be sure to bring to those who either participate in or 

 foster this work, the realisation of their endeavours and aspirations 

 — material assistance to the agricultural prosperity of the Cape 

 Colony. 



* E. W. Hilgard, " Soils : their Forrriation, Properties, Composition, and 

 ' Relations to Climate and Plant Growth," 1906, p. xviii. 



