First Annual Report of the Agricultural and Horticultural Society of Auckland. (Continued from our last.)

Daily Southern Cross, Volume I, Issue 28, 28 October 1843, Page 4

First Annual Report of the Agricultural and Horticultural Society of Auckland. (Continued from our last.)

Houses. Houses are built by the natives for the settler in the bush of a species of rush called "Raupo," which is found in abundance in all the swamps, this boing cut and dried, neatly tied with strips of " Koradi" or native flax, to a frame-work of wood, and the roof is thatched with a tough species of grass ; they are sometimes very tastefully lined with reods. They can be built of some size, are very warm, and when divided into appartments, and furnished with floors, doors and windows, are extremely comfortable, They will last with very little repair for three years. Their price varies according to size and finish, from 30s. to £5, or even £12 ; much caution, however, is required in using fire, as they ignite like tinder, and are burned to the ground in a few minutes ; it is therefore advisable to have the cooking house at some distance from the main building, and to have a good stone chimney. Good weather-boarded cottages of kauri, containing two apartment, can be built for £50, and so on in proportion ; and bricks are also to be had at a very moderate price. Expense of Clearing Land. A general description of the land, comprising the surface of the country around Auckland, has been taken notice of, in alluding to the variety of soils ; it is now necessary to give a more detailed description, in order to point out the best means of clearing und bringing them into a state of cultivation, and when this is dono by contract, the prices (per acre) are as follows : — Ist. Woodland, which is thickly covered with trees of moderate size. There are two methods usually employed, one is to cut down the wood leaving the stumps to perish by natural decay^ or nearly so, by which, in the course of a year or two, they are easily rooted out, or at once to uproot them, and as it depends much on the size, the closeness of the trees, and the perfect manner in which the work is performed, no precise sum can bo stated, but including chopping, collecting, burning the refuse wood, ploughing, harrowing and bringing the land into a state of good tillage, it varies from £8 to £16 per acre ; but it must be remembered that a great portion of the wood is useful for fuel and fencing, and that the soil is always of the best description, being a rich friable loam, especially suited to the growth of wheat. Sndly. Land covered with small fern (per acre) : Mowing the fern and preparing for the plough 65., two ploughings 30s. each, removing and burning roots £1, harrowing, and rolling 125., total £4 18s. The soil is ' generally a light loam or sandy clay, s well adapted to barley, grasses and clovers. 3rdly. Land covered with small manuka. The price of clearing this land varies consi- , derably, for instance, where it has been burnt some time previously it may be cleared for the plough at £1 per acre, but in other eases, where it is much encumbered with a species of iong tough, grass, it costs from 30s. to £U. Of course wo allude here to the majnuka which does not require uprooting. — Clearing for the plough (per acre) £1 10, ploughing and cross-ploughing £3, ploughing for seed £1, collecting and burning bushes and tufts of grass 45., harrowing and rolling 10s., total £6 4s. The soil of this description of land is superior to the former, bnt adapted to the same crops. 4thly. Fern and Tupaki land. The clearing of this variety is expensive in proportion to the quantity in which each kiud is found, and the ploughing and harrowing will be in the same ratio. That is, where there is the greatest quantity of tupaki, so will it be found most expensive in clearing, and where fern is most abundant, more expensive in pillage, but as the greater quantity of the

latter is fonnd where the former prevails, the two extremes are given : Where in least quantity, dealing per acre £1, fallowing and cosss-ploughing £3, harrowing &c. 155., collecting and burning the fern-root 10s., ploughing for seed £1, total £6 ss.— When in greatest quantity,. clearing per acre £3, three ploughings at 305., two ditto at £1, harrowing &c. £1 55., collecting and burning the fern root 155., total £11 10s. This description of land is generally a rich deep loam, suitable for grain, green crops and grasses. sthly. Volcanic land. This is situated adjacent to or around the bases of the volcanic hills, and is too much encumbered with scoria for general cultivation, and the expence of clearing it must depend entirely on that particular, the stones however may be employed in making durable fences, if however completely cleared it is light and rich, and well suited for gardens and vineyards. The expense of a wall of five feet high is from 6s. to 7s. per rod of 6$ feet. In making the above statements, the land is supposed to be well worjeed, and under as good tillage as a farm in England, and putting in the seed is included in the harrowing. It may be mentioned also that the same charge is made for the second as for the first ploughing, as it generally requires as much -labour*, and that the calculations are made at the price for which a team of bullocks can be hired at present, and that land thus cleared can be afterwards worked by three bullocks or two' horses in a plough. There is another mode sometimes practised by giving the land two ploughings in the Autumn and letting it remain fallow during the winter, and in spring putting in a crop of potatoes or oats, then giving it the following Autumn a good cross-ploughing and harrowing, burning the fern-root on the ground, it will then be prepared for a crop of wheat or barley in the beginning of winter or following spring ; this mode is applicable to fern land. Where however a farmer and his family provided with a team of bullocks undertake clearing and preparing new ground, the expence will be trifling in proportion to the labour and skill employed in the task, It .would appear that a farmer so situated could break up in one year, in many parts of this district, from 70 to 100 acres of land, and prepare 20 acres for crop. The Committee however would state, as a general rule, that all newly broken up land should lie fallow during either the winter or summer, or should be prepared for either grains by a crop of maize or potatoes, by this means the sourness incident to all unbroken land, particularly fern land, will be removed, and the soil either pulverized by exposure to the atmosphere, or comminuted by the roots of the above named plants, will be ready to receive either wheat or barley, and will amply repay the time thus apparently lost. Fencing. Several kinds of fences are employed in the district, when put up by contract and the materials wholly furnished by the contractor, the prices (per rod) at present are as follows : Two rail fence 5 feet high 3s. 3d. ; three ditto ditto 4s. ; one rail and a ditch 3 by 4 feet 3s. ; two ditto ditto ditto 4s. 6d. ; two rails with palings Bs. 6d.— Where wood is found by the farmer, the prices of the undermentioned fences (per rod) are as follows : Two rail fence and ditch 3by 4 feet Is. dd. ; one rail and ditch 5 by 4 feet, 3s. These fences, when made of durable wood and the posts charred, will last for several years. The posts, if possible, should be made of puriri, a wood much resembling English oak. The one rail and ditch 5 feet by 4 feet may be recommended as the best fence. Stonefences are built of 5 feet high at from 7s. to Bs. per rod. Wheat. All the clay lands of this district are especially suited to the growth of wheat, and ' all the samples of this valuable grain which have been as yet produced, have been of very superior quality, but having been only partially sown, and in very small quantities, 'no average of the return per acre can be i yet given. Malting Barley. As the soil and climate of this part of New Zealand seems peculiarly adapted to the production of malting barley, which it may be remarked cannot be grown with any certainty in New South Wales, nor even in Van Diemen's Land, the attention of the farmers is particularly directed to it, as it will probably become one of the staple exports of this district, as well as being manufactured ! into malt in the colony itself, since the temperature of the greater part of the year will permit brewing to be carried on. Sheep. Long wool of fine quality it is presumed can be produced from the facility with which pastures can be formed in the low grounds for sheep of the Leicestershire breed, and in the high lands for the South Down variety. Permanent Pastures. As no other grass but rye-grass has as yet been so^n in this district, the Committee do

not feel themselves authorized to report on the best methods of forming permanent pastures until the usual meadow grasses are imported from England, which they recommend to be immediately done. They suggest the following varieties as most suitable, viz. :—: — Vernal meadow grass, cats tail grass, meadow soft grass, meadow fox tail grass, dogs tail grass, medow fescue grass, yellow oat grass, cocks foot grass, smooth stalked meadow grass, annual meadow grass, rough stalked meadow grass, meadow barley grass, meadow oat grass, tall oat-like soft grass, hard fescue grass, hard brone grass, creeping bent grass or fiorin, yarrow, creeping vetch, perennial red clover. — These are the grasses generally found in the meadows in England. Maine. Maize is already a very important article of New Zealand produce, being cultivated largely by the natives. It is generally a certain and abundant crop, not only being excellent for horses, pigs and poultry, but it might bo used for domestic purposes, as in America. It is generally sown on newly broken ground, the outlay on which it will often repay in favourable seasons, returning from 50 to 70 bushels ,per acre, As however there is much manual labour expended on it, doubts are entertained whether its cultivation, except under the above circumstances, would be profitable, as the natives will always undersell the settler. It may however be exported to New South Wales when the crop fails there. Potatoes. The potatoe is one of the most valuable productions of New Zealand, it grows here to as great perfection as in any part of the world, but the varieties cultivated by the natives, with few exceptions, are indifferent, from their seldom changing the seed, but some imported last year from Van Diemen's Land, called the " Red Derwent," have returned an abundant crop of very fine quality, The Committee would therefore recommend this variety to be procured., as they feel convinced that they may yet become a very important export to the Sydney market, if carefully selected and well packed. The New Zealand potatoes having only fallen in disrepute there from their indifferent quality ; it might be well also to endeavour to prooare some of the most approved sorts from England. Aspect and Shelter. As much of this district is of an open character, particular attention should be paid if possible, to aspect and shelter, the best is from N. E. to N. W., as the prevailing and coldest winds are from W. to S. Where natural shelter is deficient, hedges and screens of wood should be planted, and a species of mimosa, commonly called the " Black, or King George's Sound Wattle," seems best adapted for that purpose, it grows very rapidly from seed, to the height of twenty feet in throe years, is ever-green, and its bark is said to be useful in tanning. None of the native trees except the karaka, a species of laurel, seem adapted to the above purpose. The white thorns which have been brought into the district, have thriven well, and contrary to their habits in Europe, grow from cuttings. The furze thrives equally well. Fattening of Cattle. It is quite astonishing how cattle and horses fatten in the bush on the natural herbage, for not only are there a variety of grasses and succulent herbs intermixed with the fern, which generally clothes the surface, but the tops of the young fern are greedily eaten by stock, as well as the leaves and twigs of many trees and shrubs. Bullocks turned into the bush on their landing from ship-board, have been known to increase several hundred pounds in weight in a few months, and heifers born and bred in it, of two years and a half old, have weighed eight hundred pounds. They do not require any shelter during the winter, nor to be brought into the yard to feed, as in Great Britain. They are also liable to fewer diseases. Here there is a manifest advantage to the dairyman and grazier in this district ; they have not as yet (whilst the country is still open) a necessity for forming artificial pastures, though they would doubtless repay, nor have they occasion to undergo the labour and expence of making, or storing hay, as in the Canadas, for winter consumption ; but should it be found necessary to feed the young stock at night, they can always command plenty of green food by sowing Cape barley in the autumn. The quantity of milk given by cows fed in the bush varies according to the season ; but when in full milk, they may yield from' eight to ten pints. This quantity would be increased on artificial pastures. Dairies. The formation of dairies may be urged on the farmer as one of his most profitable investments ; the butter, cheese, and bacon made from pigs fed on the refuse buttermilk, would find a ready market, either here or in New South Wales,