Sheep-Farming in New Zealand.

Hastings Standard, Issue 305, 24 April 1897, Page 4

Sheep-Farming in New Zealand.

BY THE MAORIS. i Writes l.v"» vi Allan in the Australasian Review : If wo confine the statement to tho North Island, it may be said that wool-raising among the Maoris of New Zealand is increasing every year. There is no native race in the world so keenly alive to the importance of its loru-s stanili as the Maori. They are protected from indiscriminate speculation by the excellent Native land laws, and the enormous output of wool convinces them of the quality of the land that grows it. Some very fine runs are owned by Maoris in different parts of tke North Island, more particularly in the Wcirarapa, Hawke's Bay, and Poverty Bay districts, but it can hardly be said that these areas, so well improved, are the result of hard work. In many cases they were originally leased in the " rough" at a nominal figure by Europeans, and by the leases falling in every year they reverted to the Natives with all the improvements thereon. An estate, say, in area 20,000 acres, pays rent to perhaps 100 Natives, and each Native is entitled to an amount of rent in proportion to the area of land he possesses in the block. This often gives rise to disputes among themselves, for in the majority of cases •a Native's portion is marked out by the natural features of the block—a stream, a hill, a clearing; any mark, in fact. Then they go before the sitting of the Land Court and a surveyor generally solves the question. Given that this 20,000 acre run has reverted to the natives —say 100 in number—they next proceed to stock it. In the case of a European this would naturally entail much expense, but with the Maoris this becomes the grazing ground for any individual Native who already has sheep or can afford to buy some, and they are liable to be called upon to contribute towards expenses. Each owner or company has his or its own ear-mark (sometimes a dozen Natives combine and use the same mark), and the complications which so many ear-marks give rise to may easily be imagined. At shearing, dipping, docking, &c., the owners are their own laborers, and as general workers (when to their own interest) the Maoris are unsurpassed. They are slow, but they never have to go over a job twice. They make excellent fencers or rough carpenters. There are many Europeans in the Wairarapa who could take lessons from them in this respect. Among sheep, as improvers of breed they fail. To the Maoris a big fleece is preferable to a smaller, finewoolled fleece. They do not, generally speaking, study the classing of wool,' and they cross sheep more by " frame ' than by observation and attention to science. They are certainly (in the better improved runs) indefatigable "cullers." It is only strong-framed ewes that are put out with the rams. i A ewe may be coar.se-woolled, badlywoolled on the ribs, given to peltrot, but at the same time of excellent fraihe —she is well formed that is enough for the Maori. They will put merino to merino, crossbred to Lincoln—crossing and recrossing, always provided the stock is strong. Any diseased sheep, suffering from cancerous growths, tumors, &c., are religiously slaughtered. In the woolsheds they are equal to the white men. The sheep are sheared well, and the pressing and finishing off generally is excellent. Of late years the Maori has utilised every ounce of " dags" and dead wool. Show a Maori the value of anything and there will be no waste.

Every stock sale in the district is attended by a certain number of Natives, and it is here that the natural business capacity of the Maori is evidenced. The Native owners of some runs want sheep ; they have a good supply of grass ; they go from one sale to another watching the stock and prices ; they have the money and they can afford to wait if they do not see exactly what they are after. At length the Maori will " chip in," and buy a mob of starving ewes, but generally young and of good frame. They run them on the surplus grass for three months, then sell them again just before weaning time, perhaps for double what they gave. The Maori is a born dealer, because he has money, time, and good grass always on hand. If one company is short of grass, a neighbouring Native runholder has perhaps too much. The secret of Maori prosperity is their unity—they are one largo family, and they can live upon what they grow if necessary. If a certain run wants wire, the expense in the majority of cases is cut up among many, so that they do not feel it.

Individually speaking, there is very little return ; but the Maori has the glory—he is a runholder the same as the white man. In Hawke's Bay especially there are few Maoris who have not their buggies and tailor-made clothes ; one has only to turn out to a country race meeting to gauge the prosperity of the Maori. As a runholder once said to me, '* It beats me where they get their money." Two rings out of three on the tote are Natives'. Probably when the meeting is over they go borne, take off their fancy clothes, and eat with their hands ; of course there are exceptions. But they are quite happy; they have been ail the same the Pakeha. a? well as lucky on the totalisator ( for the Maori is proverbially lucky) : but the return from the winning ticket, like unto the profits of their sheepfarming. individually speaking, is trilling, for in many cases ten Natives may be the holders of one winning tickit. Run- i> : i by th- -e companies are <Kterk>r.u:r.j r by year. The growth • f .-.io'.i- v, • <ml; and shrubs is vie.ve<l by iLt-m pi.iiS.rt :stly. Thirties are left t » lti-'.v a:.d thrive and die asrain, ih< tr ~ >ln Lhhvh to the four muds. Briar i= gradually creeping in

anions the home pud-locks, ant! furfce hedges are throwing out shoots, and in the c«,s3 of rough country the tav.'Li'.vi .-crab and ti-tivp are slowly ; hut .-;:u-cly gaining Lack the area cleared and fired by the industry of the white man who came before. At times, in the ury seasons, the Maoris take an industrious turn, and for days the sky and surrounding country is under a cloud of smoke. With the first shower of rain a quantity of inferior seed (generally Yorkshire fog) is sown, for the Maori is not to be convinced that Yorkshire fog is but an injurious weed, harmful to stock, difficult to eradicate, and an absolute " crowder out" of other English grasses. The grass comes up quickly and thrives ; it is patchy and course, but that does not signify ; so in the long run Yorkshire fog and scrub rival each other. The sheep come in from the back country rotting with fluke or some other internal complaint, and the Maoris, unheeding the advice of veterinary surgeons, take the wool oft' and turn them out again. Keferring to these back blocks, with all due respect to the stock inspectors, the sheep (Native) are decidedly in want of a good official overhauling. Unlike the Natives of the more populated districts, they are absolutely careless as to whether their sheep be dipped during the year. If they can avoid dipping they do so. Occasionally an inspector drops down upon them, and even the most lenient of men cannot fail to remark, " White lice and plenty of 'em." It is not to be wondered at. The sheep run wild all through the year ; they are generally (when wanted by the inspector) in most inaccessible spots. To the north perhaps, lies a comfortable little station, with whisky and a clean bed—it is but natural for the troubled inspector to fight shy of the Maori mobs and make for peace and plenty. The native sheep are hut a handful after all; no one has made a complaint, so he passes the lot —" Entered as free from all parasites," &c. In conclusion —that is, speaking of the more advanced Maori sheep-farmers in Wairarapa and Hawke's Bay —the Maori is a great imitator: what the white man does among stock he strives to do, and the time is not far off when scientific breeding will take the place of their present crude work, and their blind imitation give way to keen rivalry when they realise the benefit of growing fine wool.