PAPERS FOR EMIGRANTS.—No. IV. LAND CLEARING—FIRST CROP.

New Zealand Gazette and Wellington Spectator, Issue 63, 26 June 1841, Page 3

PAPERS FOR EMIGRANTS.— No. IV. LAND CLEARING — FIRST CROP.

In the preceding papers of this series, we have, as it were, led the emigrant by the hand until the end of the period, during which he must necessarily labour for hire ; and we have shown that the interest of the labourer is thereby promoted as much as that of the employer. We will now address ourselves to those who are about to occupy land : whether by the savings of their labour in the Colony, or by means of capital carried thither, is of little consequence to our purpose; except*that to -him who has invested his well-earned savings in land, an error may be productive of more grievous consequences than to others; and, therefore, what we have to 'urge is especially worthy of Ms attention. v - " Now, the firsfrtning the New Zealand settler must do is to cast aside his English experience and work by new rules. Experience is a good thing no doubt, but to obey it in this case would be productive of ruin ; and if he must have experience for his guide, let it be the experience of others, which is precept rather than experience : let him, in snort, observe what is done in other countries circumstanced exactly as New Zealand is, and the result will bear witness to the prudence of the proposed course. In a letter published in the 17th number of this Journal, from Mr. George Duppa, a gentleman of intelligence and experience as an agriculturalist in Kent, we find the following two passages : — " A dense forest, which has enriched the soil for ages> covers the country in this district. The enormous expence of clearing— calculated at forty pounds per acre— is the great apparent drawback; but, as wheat fetches ten pouuds per quarter, and is likely to remain at that price for five or six years at least, it will amply repay for the outlay of the capital. • • * * * Once ploughing with one pair of oxen and a light plough •will be sufficient ; for I never saw land turn up so well in my life: it is like the finest garden mould, and perfectly free from weeds — a circumstance which is to bo attributed to its having been so thickly covered with wood." Now, the course of proceeding which we Sesire to contrast with the conception which Mr. Duppa appears to have acquired, is that of the Americans and Canadians, and for this very simple reason, that in all essential features the face of the country in New Zealand resembles North America as much as it differs with the sandy plains of the Australian Colonies. North America enjoys immense tracts of the

White clover is indigenous, and ii generally abundant aftet the clearing of the land, and the burning of trees. The plough is seldom used on new lands, until the firit pasture is broken up, it being found quite sufficient in the first instance to harrow-in the seed. Manure is .but little attended to ; and as in Lower Canada, much that might be usefully applied to the land is -wasted : the stable dung generally goes to the Indian corn crop, or if the farm have one, to the orchard, where also oats or rye are frequently raised.

It will be seen that the plough is not at all used at first; and as Mr. Duppa tells us, the soil is the richest and lightest he ever met with, the same course is applicable to New Zealand, in a greater degree than to Canada. Let the New Zealand settlers, then, try the mode of harrowing in, until the first pasture is broken up ; let him also reduce his quantity of , seed to one bushel and a half, or even one bushel and a quarter, and we are certain the result will enable him to beat the high cultivator out of the market.

As these observations will most likely meet Mr. George Duppa's eye, we earnestly recommend him tp investigate the subject with care, before he adopts the expensive mode of cultivation to which he has been accustomed. Adopting the chief features of the American plan, and duty keeping in mind the principles on which it is based, he will be able to introduce many improvements ; and if he will then publish the result of his experience, for the benefit of his fellow Colonists, he will confei/an obligation upon them, which, we doubt not, they will know how to value. At all events, if he determine to try the plan of eradicating the stumps, we entreat him to try the American plan also, so as to be able to compcire the two He will find among the first Colonists, men who have had opportunities of seeing the course we recommend in full operation. The editor of the Neio Zealand Gazette in particular is well acquainted therewith, and will, we are sure, bear witness to what we have set down. — New Zealand Journal.