a—2b

A cursory examination by the writer led to the belief that the deposits represent a band or bands of fault-crushed Amuri limestone. They may, however, in reality consist of slope debris detached from the solid limestone outcrops by erosional agencies and reduced to a powdery condition by some peculiar process of decomposition. The material at the outcrop inspected by the writer is a light-pinkish to light grey-and-white substance, which crumbles easily between the fingers, and is mixed with a moderate proportion of hard pieces of limestone, most of which are of small size. The analysis of an air-dried sample taken by the writer is as follows : — Insoluble in acid (silica, &c.) .. .. .. .. .. 36-33 Alumina and iron oxide (A1 2 0. t , Fe 2 0 3 ) .. .. .. 2-77 Lime (CaO) .. .. .. ... .. .. .. 32-13 Magnesia (MgO) .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 0-35 Carbonic anhydride (CO 2 ) .. .. .. . . .. . . 23-82 Moisture and organic matter . . . . . . . . . . 4-57 Phosphoric anhydride (P 2 0,) . . .. . . . . . . 0-11 100-08 Mr. B. C. Aston has communicated to the writer the results of analyses of numerous samples taken by himself and Mr. Thomson. These show that tho carbonate of lime in the soft limestone varies from 4582 to 7642 per cent., whilst the hard limestone contains from 6039 to 925 per cent, of carbonate of lime. It is understood that Mr. Thomson intends to work the soft-limestone deposits on his land, and as a preliminary to drive into the one nearest the road, so as to get a better idea of the quantity and quality of the material than is at present possible. 111. Waikari District. In the Journal of Agriculture for November, 1915, Mr. A. McTaggart interestingly describes the discovery of soft-limestone deposits near Waikari, and gives some details regarding their situation, quality, &o. The depth of these deposits, according to Mr. McTaggart, is in places at least 14 ft., but he gives no figures from which the average depth or the area covered can be calculated, and hence his opinion that there are probably " millions of tons or unlimited supplies of this desirable material in the locality " requires support before it can be accepted. As a matter of fact data for a reliable estimate of quantity and quality have not yet been obtained. At the foot of a slope capped by limestone, and only a few chains south of Waikari Railwaystation, is the spot where, as mentioned by Mr. McTaggart, the Waipara County Council has commenced to work a soft-limestone deposit. From the opening made, which is on the side of the road, over 100 tons of material has been excavated for experimental purposes. This has been roughly sieved on the spot, and part taken by the Agricultural Department, whilst the remainder has been distributed in small lots to settlers in various parts of Canterbury and Otago. The working-face shows the following section : — 9 in. black soil. 6 in. to 2 ft. hard limestone debris. 5 ft. to 7 ft. highly friable limestone debris mixed with hard fragments of various sizes. Yellowish-grey sand. The lower part of the friable material is clearly poorer in quality than the upper. Postholes show that it extends at least 2 chains up the slope to the south, but, it is not visible a few chains to the eastward, where a cutting on the south side of the road shows only yellowish sandy debris containing small irregular veins or patches of pure-white almost impalp.ably fine material resembling whiting. The writer also visited the property of Mr. H. H. Holland, situated about two miles west of Waikari. This gentleman, who has taken a great interest in the question of obtaining supplies of lime or limestone for agricultural purposes, kindly showed the writer the soft-limestone deposits on his land and on the education reserve (Section 1145) about a mile to the east. Mr. Holland's deposits are on the slopes of a limestone-capped hill south-west and west of his residence, and apparently extend over a considerable area. They are overlain by a foot or two of soil, and in one place have been bored to a depth of 14 ft. A number of shallow test-pits have also been dug, with the result that the quality of the limestone is shown to be somewhat, variable. Half a mile or so to the west of Mr. Holland's house a pit, which remains open, shows only 2 ft. of soft-limestone debris (of good quality, however), underlain by hard rock. The soft-limestone deposit on the education reserve is near the foot of a slope below a limestone ridge. This has been bored to a, depth of 14 ft., but only at one place, so far as the writer could learn. Elsewhere in the Waikari district are various accumulations of soft limestone, as mentioned by Mr. McTaggart in his article. None of these has been seen by the writer except a small deposit which is exposed by a railway-cutting in Weka Pass. The following partial analyses of soft limestones are quoted from Mr. B. C. Aston's article, "South Island Limestone Analyses," in the Journal of Agriculture for-October, 1915, and from Mr. McTaggart's article previously cited. The publication of the complete analyses'and of the exact localities of the samples may be urged as a desirable step.

16