BARBERTON, a district and a town in the Transvaal. The town, 2 5 ° 35' S. and 31 ° I I' E., is situated on the slopes of the De Kaap Valley, and is overlooked by De Kaap, a peak of the Drakenberg. It is 2,825ft. above sea-level and is 136m. by rail from Lourenco Marques and 283 from Pretoria. The town grew as a consequence of the gold rush to the district, 1882-86, and quickly attracted a population of about 8,000. By 1887 the boom was past, and the town began to decline. Its present white popula tion is 1,029. The town is lighted by electricity and has a good water supply. The district has developed along agricultural lines. It is one of the principal areas in South Africa for citrus fruit and cotton, and it produces considerable quantities of tobacco and of such subtropical fruit as pawpaws, mangoes and pineapples. Sev eral thousand acres are under irrigation, and tomatoes are being grown for the winter markets of South Africa. The rainfall aver ages 3 I.7in. per annum. Gold is still mined, the production for 1924 being 41,712 ounces. Talc and nickel are also worked. Malaria was formerly very severe and still occurs in the valleys.