28 February 1859 Maraekakaho My dear Donald I have to trouble you again with one of my epistles with all the news from this quarter, besides I find the season in Auckland is fast approching when several seeds that will be cheap and very advantagious to our improvements here is fast aproching. ...ily I got a few furs or Scotch whins [?] seeds from a neighbour three mos. ago and I find they are doing well and Neil Walker says were you to send a man allong the hages in Auckland you could get any quantity of the seed in one day. Pray do so or procure me two or three pound some way as it will make a fine fence and cheap also. See and get me some of the thorn seed as well. Another thing I would like to get good is onion seed as no English seed that groes here does well. He told me that the best one to get that from was McLean in the scoria, the man I went to see. 1/4 lb of it would be very necessary. All the other seed I will r[a]ise myself. Alex has finished shearing at Paitnie and sold the wool for 1/8 cash, a good price. He sold the sheep also and wrote me he would be here in five or six days more. I want him home as soon as possible as the season is fast advancing so that Gasgoin will commence hauling timber for the house and fencing. We must get a padock made for the rams and horses before the year is over. We ought to have many valuable improvements and keeping at home and steady persivearance is the only way to accomplish that. I had the good luck the other day to kill a wild bi[t]ch and 7 pups. Just close to the sheep she was found. I have another demand on you if you could get a good second hand gun I wish if cheap you would send us one as it will be very usful to kill wild dogs and pigs. Both if allowed to increas will distroy a vast number of sheep. By all accounts some sheep farmers have lost fearfully by both this last year, Mr Golland for one. A 2nd hand musket will answer which you might get for a few shillings in Auckland. I wrote John the other days. I am anxious to know what he is going to do that he has left the sea for poor fellow he has a heavey charge now on his head but providence is good and he is a good head of his own I think. I do not fear if he will not be to oppen hearted but he will do well whatever he gets to do. Dear fellow, I am fond of him and like his wife very well also poor thing. I make not doubt but she will make him a good wife. It will require good management in this country. I have myself great faith in this place. Please God you will see in the course of two years more your income from it will be hansome and the place greatly improved. My whole heart is into it. I like the situation so will if possible my dear brother try and come down just till we have one good consulting night together about the future. Remember me to Jessy, Aunty to and my dear little Douglas. I remain dear brother your affectionate brother Archibald John McLean PS. Be careful that you make a good selection of your fruit trees when you send them but do not go to much expence with them as we have a good many now. The two pines have taken well to the ground and I think will do well. I am longing for a letter from home now to see what is going on there. No more now. A J M