Experiences of an Old Pioneer.

Manawatu Herald, 16 August 1894, Page 2

Experiences of an Old Pioneer.

FORMING THE LAND COMPANY.

In the year 1889 a company— principally comprised of merchants, ship-owners and. other influential people — W aß floated in London, and called the New Zealand Land Company. Their object was to acquire land in New Zealand, and with this end in view Colonel Wakefield, d^. i chief agent for the company was sent i out in the ship Tory, and Captain Smith, as Surveyor-General in the Cuba. They took with them a staff of assistants and necessary goods to barter with the natives for the purchate of land. The company extensively advertised in London that land in New Zealand could be obtained in sections of 101 acres, consisting of 100 country acres and one town acre on payment of £1 per acre. These sections were disposed of in London by ballot for order of choice. In tending settlers to New Zealand purchasing land from them would be allowed 75 per cent, in payment of passage money, emigrants receiving a free steerage passage, Eleven hundred sections were accordingly disposed of, and three vessels were chartered by the company for the purpose of taking the buyers out. The names of the ships were the Adelaide, Oriental and Aurora. EMBARKATION AND HURRIED DEPARTURE. At this time the Exeter Hall Company Missionary Party made some effort through communicating with the British Government to stop this colonizing scheme. The vessels took in their passengers and cargo in the London Docks, and dropped down the river Thames, but were detained some days in . the Downs by contrary winds. While at anchor there | word was received that we had better depart without any delay, or the probability would be that the Govern- ! ment might detain ue. Through fear of this all the vessels got under weigh in September, 1889. They all arrived in New Zealand within four months, with the exception of the Adelaide, this ship being the last to arrive after a six months' eventful voyage. MUTINY. ON BOARD SHIP. Before reaching the Cape the crew mutinied, and Captain Campbell, being a very determined man, ordered the ring-leader to be flogged. This irritated the crew to such an extent that the captain was compelled to call on the passengers to uphold his authority, which most of them did by arming themselves, the captain holding a pistol in each- hand and threatening to shoot the first man that attempted to ascend the poop, Another dispute arising of a serious nature compelled the captain to put into the Cape, where we remained _ '} for a fortnight. ARRIVAL IN NEW ZEALAND WATERS, On leaving England the orders were to proceed to D'Urville's Island to obtain information as to our destination. At this island we were told by a person appointed ■■: by Colonel Wakefield that we were to goon to Port Nicholson (Wellington.) We duly arrived, and found that all the settlers who had preceded us had gone to Petone and Heretaunga (the Hntl), with the intention of forming the first town there, but on arrival of the Adelaide a meeting was held to come to a final decision . on .' the matter. It was then decided by a majority of the colonists that a better site for the formation of a town would be where it is now called Wellington (but first named Britannia.) NO GOVERNOR. Of course there was no governing power in the colony at this time until the arrival of Captain Hobson the first-appointed Governor of the colony, who arrived at Auckland immediately after. The Home Government having learnt ttiat so many had left England for the purpose of settling in the colony and continuing to leave had no doubt thought it necessary to appoint a Governor at once. A DANGEROUS PULL. On the Adelaide dropping anchor in Fort Nicholson Harbour- towards evening, several of the passengers ; made a request to the captain to al- | low them a boat to go ashore, Mrs Smith, the wife of the SurveyorGeneral being very anxious/ to .meet her husband, who had previously-ar-rived in one of the first ships. Several of us volunteered to pull the boat if the captain cpngeqted. He endeavoured very strongly to persuade us from doing so, as a southerly gale was coming up. We started, however, and landed on the Petone sandy beach, after several narrow escapes of capsizing, the gale being very terrific and the rain coming down in toirents. When we landed it was pitch dark, and in some manner myself and Baron Alzdorf.got separated from the others. After wandering about for a time we discerned a light which we made for, and which came from a hut occupied by emigrants. There we were kindly treated and provided with a bed — such was my experience of the first night in New Zealand. (To be continued.)

This insect in the slug" stage is very destructive, making terrible havoo among the foliage of cherry, pear, and plum trees, and in a less degree of walnut, apple, apricot, and quince — also, it destroys the leaves of hawthorn hedges — by eating the epidermis off the upper surface. The : life-history is briefly as follows : The '■ perfect insect, which is one of the j saw-flies, deposits her eggs in a cut j which she makes iv the leaf by means of the saw-like organ with which she j is provided. The eggs hatch in from two to four days, and the tiny slugs at once commence to feed, as shown in Fig. 2. They attain their full size (Fig. 8) in from three to four weeks, and are at that time dark-olive-coloured and slimy ; but when they cease feeding the dark coat and slime are changed for a clean yellow skin, after which they leave the tree and form little oavities in the ground, where small cocoons are constructed, within which the further changes take place. The larval skin is cast, the insect assumes the pupal dress, and about fifteen days later emerges a perfect four-winged fly, which at once commences to perpetuate its kind. There are usually two broods in a season ; but in America, Harris Remarks — and his remarks apply also to this colony, — "It seems that all of them, however, do not finish their transformations at this time — some are found to remain unchanged in the ground till the following year, so that, if all the slugs of the last hatch in any one year should happen to be destroyed, enough from a former brood would still remain in the earth to continue the species. ••The disgusting appearance and smell of these slug-worms do not protect them from the attacks of various enemies. Mice and other burrowing animals destroy many of them in their cocoons, and it is probable that birds also prey upon them when on the trees, both in the slug and winged states. Professor Peck has described a small ichneumon fly, stated by Mr Westwood to be a speoies of Encyrtus, that stings the eggs of the slug fly, and deposits in in each one a single egg of her own. From this, in due time, a little maggot is hatched, which lives in the shell of the slug-fly's egg, de> yours the contents, and afterwards is changed into a chrysalis, and then to a fly like its parent. Professor Feck found that great numbers of the eggs of the slug-fly, especially of the Becond hatch, were rendered abortive by this atom of existence." The fly iB black, with four trans-

parent wings, the first pair being marked with a dnsky cloud. The first two pairs of legs are a dirty yellow, the thighs black; the last pair are dark, nearly black, with yellow knees. When the insects are numerous the foliage is soon destroyed, and the fruit drop 9 before it is ripe ; the plant subsequently puts out new leaves ; but all this exhausts the tree, so that unless decisive steps are taken it is bound to succumb to repeated attacks. Remedies. The best remedy is hellebore. Mix loz. of while-hellebore powder in, say, a quart of boiling water, and let it stand for some time. Whon ready to use it, strain, and make up the quantity to two gallons. Two sprayings in a season will be sufficient if the pest is not very bad, but it may be necessary to give a third. Ashes, lime, and even common dust are found very beneficial. A good object-lesson in this particular was to be seen in Wellington some years ago : The hawthorn hedge in front of the Parliament Buildings was badly attacked by " leech " on the inside; but the side next the street—and it was a very dusty street at that time —was quite tree from the loathsome little creatures: being slimy, the dust stuck to them and proved falal. If no other remedy is handy the plants should be well dusted with some fine powder. Mr Palmer, the Government Pomologist for the North Island recommends the following mixture as effectual against " leech " and all other insect and fungoid pests ; it should be used after the fruit has set, and during the early summer : 61b. sulphate of copper dissolved in hot water, and the quantity then^ made up to 60 gallons, to which must be added 4oz. of Paris green, 4oz. of hellebore-powder, and 21b. of quicklime. Scald the helleborepowder in, say, two quarts of water ; mix the Paris green with a little water to form a paste; slack the lime, adding sufficient water to make four gallons; strain the whole through a fine sieve or cloth, and add to the copper mixture. Spray every three or four weeks. Mr Palmer has used this mixture for some time, and found it very effective. In fighting the pear-slugs the remedies should be applied directly the young larvae begin to appear, and not delayed till they are !"""■ T. W. &«. 1