THE MAORI MESSENGER. Auckland, February 24, 1853.

Maori Messenger : Te Karere Maori, Volume V, Issue 109, 24 February 1853, Page 3

THE MAORI MESSENGER. Auckland, February 24, 1853.

The present aspect of New Zealand,-moral, social, and physical,-is such as cannot fail to excite the most lively gratitude. With her garners more than sufficiently full lor every want of her own, she can now vaunt of possessing a very considerable surplus to relieve the necessities of her neighbours, l'eace and prosperity reigns within her borders. And the work of civilizing the mind and subduing the soil proceeds with a rapidity which is eipially as surprizing as satisfactory. Thanks to the newspaper press —native and European—a knowledge of the industry and intelligence of the native race has been spread, and continues most successfully to bo spread. Mankind have been enlightened with respect to the native character- The world is beginning to understand that, instead of a sanguinary and ferocious race, delighting only in deeds of rapacity and 'strife, the native, inhabitants of New Zealand arc u peaceful and industrious people ; just and honourable in all llieir dealings; diligent in pursuing, and extremely apt in n«i«jiriug the useful acts of social life ; fully sensible of their duties asChrisliau men ; and untiring in their zeal to advance both llieir , families and their country in the scale of. moral and social intelligence. | The industry and intelligence of the native | New Zealander is commanding, wo might ■ almost write campi-lllmj, the respect and eli- j citing the astonishment of the surrounding J colonics. '1 lie Sydney Motiuinj 1 hntid, and J e Sydney /ihi/«Vc—tlio most iulluential urnals of Australia—have both of lliem iven currency to the account (which tip-

pearcd in llie Maori tVessenycr of the 22nd • Oeeeinlier Inst) of llic interviews that took place between Lieutenant-Governor Wynyard and llie native, tribes ;iL Coromandeb on the subject of digging their lauds for gold. To llirtt subject. says the I lent hi of llie l.'itli January, "we woulil especially call attention. It exhibits the native character in (lie most favourable light; it shows that the natives art- fully alive to the evils which may accrue from a rapid accession of pnpu. latioii, such as is likely to be attracted by a gold field, and their great desire to guard against those evils, and at the same time allbi'd the greatest facilities for working the gold." The Empire says : —" We are almost astonished at (lie contempt for gold, and the eagerness for agricnliural produce, manifested in the speeches at (]oromaudel. It is imi excellent sign. The lone of llic Maori speeches is, on llie whole, exceedingly admirable. The care shown by them to preserve their lands from being disputed, in ! consequence of any concession fibout the. j gold which may be found on lliem, is worthy j lof all honour. The effect of the whole we. j believe, will be good. It will lie impossible ! j for the people of Knglaud not to respect i 1 those of New /calami." J J Such arc the honourable thoughts and [ pleasant opinions of the people of Australia towards those of this country ; ami their iKcreasing intelligence and untiring perseverance in every way entitle lliem to such honourable distinction. ' Ilia former number, we directed attention to the large amount of agricultural and other produce conveyed to Auckland during the year IR.'>2. Much of that produce was of native growth; and much of it was conveyed : to port by native shipping. I We have now to solicit attention to an' importation and production exclusively native. During the year I.S-V2 produce of ! the. value of 3,.'i(51 /. I Is. Git., consisting of i potatoes, ouious, niai/.e, kunieras, cabbage, J peaches, llax, grass, wood, lisli, pigs, goals, ' ducks, fowls, Hour, geese, and shell lish, ! was conveyed to Auckland in 170-2 native i canoes navigated by 0,2.13 men ami 2,'ii2

women. There was further landed nt Onehnnga, during llie same year, from 524 native canoes navigated by lOil.'i men and SO7 women produce of a similar description valued at i7oi I) I). Whilst the Marry UlnO", native cutter, landed besides at the same place, a quantity of lla\, flour, wheat, and bran, valued at ,i2, 101, 17. The whole exhibiting an import to Auckland and Ouehunga of native produce amounting, during the year to I7d. (Id. This is more than encouraging. And our readers have only to look at the list of shipping sailing from the port of Auckland, (which will be found in our present number) to be convinced of the great anil growing prosperity which their industry eannol fail to accomplish. The industrial energies of New Zealand having been thus far actively and beneficially aroused, it becomes a matter of the utmost moment that that industry should lie employed in such a manner as shall insure the largest immediate prolil to the farmer and the greatest permanent advantage to the Country. Willi these objects in view that description of produce in general demand, and leasl liable to foreign competition ought lo be extensively cultivated. I!y reference to the tables of produce brought coastwise to Auckland, we liud that wheat and maize are llie descriptions of grain of almost exclusively native growth. For c x-

•liuplo in I<s'> 1 whilst buslirls of wheal, aittl 20,057 Ijiisliols of inai/c weic imported; there wore only 788 bushels of barley. ami nol a single bushel of oals. Again ; in 18.V2 with li.Olii bushels of wheat and 1 !>, 170 bushels of maize, only I ."iO bushels or barley, ami -iO.'i bushels of oals were brought ti» market. Now this is a greivous mistake; ami the went sudden depression in the wheat ami flour markets of Synney, Melbourne, llobarl Town ami l.aumvsloii prove itbecause, whilst Hour has fallen to from Ifif. to -1\(. a ton, ami wheal has been selling at from 7s. till, to Bs. (id. a bushel, oals have been selling reailily at from 12s. lo l is. a bushel, whilst no bailey whatever was lo be haif. As sreil lime, will speedily come round, we shall take the present opportunity to urge our native husbandmen to a moro extended culture of Oats and Jiarley ; furnishing a variety of reasons for the course wc recommend.

lii ilie first place whenever wheat and Hour attains an extravagant price, there i s every reason to apprehend an immediate and ruinous competition from those great flour producing slates, Chili, ninf North America. Down at once go.the prices; and they who have sown largely in the hope of selling highly ace miserably disappointed. AVe have again and again witnessed this:—for wc have seen wheat selling one week at 2,"is. a bushel, and unsaleable, the next at ;'js. lint whilst wheat has thus repeatedly become almost valueless in the Australian Markets, Oats and llarloy have, at' the same time, been almost invariably, known to command highly remunerating prices. In Van Diomon's Laud, we have known wheat to be . dull of sale at 3s. lid. a bushel, whilst Oats ■y.uul Hai'lcy have, been readily purchased at .'is. (id. and Gs. a bushel. Consider therefore! the vast difference in profit to the grower ; —since a bushel of wheat ninsl weigh GOlhs : whilst the standard for a bushel of barley is ■i.'ilbs. and of a bushel of oats 58 lbs. The • producer has therefore upwards of three bushels of oats where he would have but two . bushels of wheat to sell. Now at the present Melbourne prices, two bushels or 120 lbs. of wheat would fetch him only 17s. at the Utmost; whilst three, bushels or llt lbs. of oals would bring liini i2s.

AYitli moderate skill. the field Hint re-; tin ned 20 bushels of wheal to the acre, i might he. made to yield at least 50 bushels of harley and from 3.* i to -iO bushels of oats. In Van hiemen's Land 00 and 70 bushels of oats per acre, are hy no means an infrequent return. It will thus lie obvious that in years of scarcity, independently of llic larger crop of oats and barley, a larger and a readier price J will lie likely to be obtained. In these j grains, Chili and America never have com- j pcletl. They are always in great demand i for the horse .keeper anil the brewer; aril, I as population increases, will he more and j more inquired after. Independently, therefore, of being enabled to offer a variety of produce for sale, the vast benefit to be derived from a rotation of crops in fanning should at once induce the native yeomanry of New Zealand to bestow their utmost rare and attention to every improvement in husbandry. We shall rejoice to learn that, during the approaching seed time, the culture of oats and barley is occupying their attention, convinced that both their lands and their pockets will be materially enriched by the change. (ii :i future paper we shall oiler a few observations on thi'cul' ire of oats and bailey.

I'i;ik::ii —I liave seen an account of llie ljigecanoe Tc Tokiatapin in the newspaper but the account is incorrect. I will tell you llie length is 13 fatlioms which make 78 feel, her breadth is G feet, you are correct as ribalds the number of men that paddled her, IP. This is another word to you, let notice be ijivcn next year, so that llie cawed canoes may race together, and the plain canoes together, and let the small ones paddle together, and the lirre ones paddle togeiher. in the same way :hat yov.r boats are arranged. Will you iinert this in your paper so that t':r Committee fur llie Ucgatta of the ensuing year may prepare Miles for our guidance. — C- atiitwiiwled hi ft -Atrfiuc.