C—2b. schemes, and probably at a smaller total cost. Bores for artesian water may be successful in obtaining water that can be delivered in the town at a slightly smaller cost than the Hughie's Creek scheme, but the supply from the latter is certain, whilst that from bores, though probable, is unproved not only as regards quantity, but as regards quality and pressure at the surface. It is not to be denied, however, that one or two trial bores seem to be fully justified by circumstances, and these, if thoroughly successful, would bring the claims of an artesian supply to the front.

6. SOFT-LIMESTONE DEPOSITS OF CAPE CAMPBELL, WARD, AND WAIKARI DISTRICTS. (By P. G. Morgan.) Introduction. Of late years attention has been directed to the value of ground unburnt limestone for agricultural purposes. In this connection Mr. B. C. Aston, Chief Chemist to the Agricultural Department, has pointed out that in New Zealand there are deposits of soft limestone which can be easily mined, and are in some cases suitable for spreading on the land without any preliminary treatment other than separating a small proportion of lumps by sieving. The known soft or friable limestone deposits of New Zealand can be classified under the following headings :— (1.) Naturally extremely soft limestones in place, unmodified by faulting or similar agency. A typical example of this class is the calcareous ooze near Lake Hayes, Wakatipu district, described by Professor Park in N.Z. Geological Survey Bulletin No. 7.* (2.) Friable limestones which on being quarried in the ordinary way yield a large amount of fine material, and of which the lumps can be very easily crushed, such as the Oamaru and Mauriceville limestones. (3.) Fault-crushed bands in hard limestone. (4.) Slope deposits of friable limestone derived from classes (2) and (3), and perhaps also produced by a peculiar weathering of hard or fairly hard limestone. (5.) Calcareous travertine deposited by springs. This material may be regarded as a variety of class (2). With this introduction the observations recently (December, 1915) made, by the writer in Marlborough and North Canterbury may be given under the headings of (1) Cape Campbell District, (II) Ward District, and (III) Waikari District. I. Cape Campbell District. A belt of " Amuri " limestone! extends southward from a point on the coast-line between Lake Grassmere and Clifford Bay, and as viewed from the western side of Fisherman Creek valley appears to run out to sea several miles to the south. This belt of limestone is faultinvolved, and in places has been so crushed that the naturally hard rock is reduced to a soft white chalky powder, containing only a small proportion of hard lumps. Outcrops of this material may be distinguished from a distance by their general appearance, and more especially by their peculiarly white colour. So far as can be seen, the quantity of crushed limestone is very large, and its quality fair. The facilities for mining are good, but this is hardly the case as regards transport, unless a large, steady demand should arise, in which event the construction of a tram-line would be advisable. The outcrops visited by the writer are approximately four miles from the railroad as the crow flies, and probably 400 ft. or 500 ft. above sea-level. The following analyses represent (1) an air-dried sample selected by the writer from an outcrop on the western side of Fisherman Creek valley, and (2) hard limestone from the coast-line between Cape Campbell and Lake Grassmere :— (10 (2-) Insoluble in acid (silica, &c.) .. .. .. . . 27-43 17-03 Alumina and. iron oxide (A1„0 3 , Fe„o.,) .. .. .. 1-64 1-19 Lime (CaO) .. .. .. .. .. .. 36-92 44-12 Magnesia (MgO) .. .. ... .. .. 0-22 0-16 Carbonic anhydride (CO 2 ) .. .. .. .. 27-60 33-28 Moisture ancForganio matter . . . . . . . . 6*06 3-93 Phosphoric anhydride (P 2 0„) .. . . . . . . 0-1.4 0-13 100-01 99-84 Mr. B. C. Aston, Chief Chemist, Agricultural Department, who visited the district shortly after the writer, obtained a sample of soft limestone from a spot on Mr. Cumming Law's property, known locally as the " Giant Shirt," and has kindly communicated the analysis, which shows 2037 per cent, of insoluble matter, 237 per cent, of alumina and iron oxide, 7368 per cent, of carbonate of lime, and 2TO per cent of water. 11. Ward District. Deposits of soft limestone have lately been discovered on Mr. A. Thomson's property by the owner and Mr. A. McTaggart, of the Agricultural Department. The locality is on the north side of the Flaxbourne River, near the road, and less than two miles from Ward Railway-station.

* "The Geology of the Queenstown Subdivision," 1909, pp. 97-99. t So called from the Amuri Bluff district, where this limestone is typically developed.