LETTER ON CATTLE AND SHEEP.

Maori Messenger : Te Karere Maori, Volume III, Issue 4, 30 April 1857, Page 9

LETTER ON CATTLE AND SHEEP.

My friends, all the people of the island of New Zealand. These are my words to you, that is, my sentiments respecting the actions of the Maori race. The people of this portion of the island the north—are not diligent in good works ; they do not follow the good example of Europeans, and direct their attention to the j roaring of cattle, and sheep, and to cultival-j ing their farms according to the English j system, which would prove the source of| much wealth. This country is well adapted j for the rearing of cattle, and when laid: down to pasture, for feeding sheep. You know that the feeding of catlle is very simple, for they feed upon all manner of herbage, and the young fern which springs spontaneously wherecvcr the old has burntoff. j If ih •:» money which you now literaMy throw j away in the purchase of horses and baubles, were taken care of, and multiplied until a large sum were obtained, —cattle-purchased, and care and attention bestowed upon them, securing for iheni a good and extensive run, !hoy being great feeders, —if the Maories were to do this, much good would resu't therefrom. Think not that the Europeans oniv would profit thereby; no, its chief benefit would be to the person who entered upon tliis undertaking. Tf only a small number of cattle are kept, the returns will of course be small; if a large number, the returns will be great, though you must not anticipate any prolits during the first year, it may be three or even four years before they j yield a return. ;

Another benefit accruing from cattle is! that they prepare the way for sheep. Now ! sheep are much more profitable than call! 3, j but the labour attending upon the feeding of [ sheep is proportionately greater; this is i caused by the labour of preparing the !an I I (this however only refers to the Northern j Districts), by burning off and removing the fertij rubbish, and scrub, and casting in English seed. This is a v.'ork of great labour but in those districts which are naturally adapled for sheep, it is otherwise; such for instance as those places where native grass abounds, as on the! Ahuriri plains. Tbe benefit then, of firs! ! grazing cattle on the land is that | destroy the fern and cause the grass to spread, making it advisable lo keep cattle first and sheep afterwards. It is not profitable lo graze cattle and- sheep on the same pasture, because the latter star\e off the former by cropping the grass close to the' ground, while the cattle (bed only on the! tops. The profit on sheep is derived from ; the wool, which soils readily in England for ; a good price, lo be converted into cloiii. j There is one disease which is very fatal to j sheep, which somewhat resembles the! 44 harchare." The cure for it is tobacco sleeper in water, with which the sheep are washed, thereby preventing ihe disease from spreading. It occasions the wool to laii ofi, and ihe flesh is rendered isniit for food. Now I think thai if the Slaories would I turr. their attention lo this subject, their! wealth and influence would alike increase, j Say not, my friends, that wealth and im- j porlanee will spring from foolishness and in- I dolence. On the contrary, ihey arc the re- ' suit of intelligence and diligence. If you | exert yourselves, the Natives will rank more i with the European, and the European as- ! sociate more with the Maori. Therefore I say, if the many acres now lying waste were but made available, how much good might be derived therefrom, —now they lie idle, and of what proHl are those many acres? Siv Maori friends, the Europeans would be very happy to see you following after these things.