THE NELSON EXAMINER. Nelson, January 7, 1843.

Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, Volume I, Issue 44, 7 January 1843, Page 174

THE NELSON EXAMINER. Nelson, January 7, 1843.

LaJbpnuMx deviennent plat necesssires jk mesure que to"bSSi»e« MM plu» "eg»ux, et I' imUriaualUme pliu * "ertiwfr^* C« eaWit jdiminuer letfr Importance que de ctoite .aa* U* nrterront qu' aganatirla. liberty : Us maintiennent Db Tooavnau. t , .De U Democratic en Amerique, tome 4, p. 230. Jbtmak become more necessary as men become more •anal, wd individualism more to be feared. It would be to vndemte tbrir importtnee to suppose that they sore only to s*Ctts» liberty: they maintain ciTilisation. D« TocavxYiLLi. Of Democracy in America, voL 4, p. S3O.

Looking around ju at the commencement of a new year, we'cw every reason to be (gratified with our progress. The old, the universal difficulty, of getting at once upon land immediately available and suited by position for immediate profitable cultivation, has existed to a less extent here than in al- '' most any other new settlement. The number of persons who, from the presence of these ordinary difficulties, have been prevented from at once going into the bush has-been comparatively few, while the numbers that have actually put the spade and the plough to work, give every reason for ■ encouragement. The whole of the suburban ' land is now given out ; every resident proprietor has his fifty acres at least, which he can, circumstances suiting, at once occupy and . cultivate ; while for those resident, not . originally land purchasers, and those who, having business in the town and having late choices, cannot take possession cf their own sections on account of their distance, there art abundance of sections in the market to he had on liberal terms— the on* hundred

sections of the Company, and the knowledge that the Colonial Reserves will, at all events, before very long be in the market for sale, preventing any exorbitant rents from being obtained. The general tendency countrywards is most cheering. The evident knowledge and strongly-felt certainty that, after all, the country is the great stand-by, is to be seen in all, let their business or occupation be what it will. The recent giving out of the remaining half of the suburban, sections affords an outlet which will be assuredly taken advantage of for the indulgence of this agricultural taste. With regard to the nature and character of the soil and climate, — there are many conflicting statements as to the former, as to the latter there can be no difference of opinion. In the wood land the growth of everything is most luxuriant. The cultivation of the fern land in the immediate neighbourhood of the wood has, in many instances, been hardly less successful. Wheat, oats, barley — all, of course, in small quantities, but not with any other preparation than clearing the land of trees — are now standing, the seed swelling or ripening, according? to the time of sowing, and finer specimens of their various sorts we have never teen. Every sort of vegetable, from the potato to the cucumber, melon, and tomatum, are in the richest luxuriance, either actually yielding or promising most prolific crops. The quantity of food with which we are supplying ourselves from the numerous gardens in and about the wood must be considerable ; and when the first and then again die second crop of potatoes come to be dug we shall find ourselves much more independent of the Maories for our supply than there was any reason to expect we should be six months ago. It is surprising how many of the immigrants arrived by the late ships have set to work with a will, and though only just in the very nick of time, got in small patches of potatoes and other vegetables. One word before we leave this subject as- to seed potatoes. We hope -that there will be no improvidence here. Long before next seed time there will be many fresh arrivals, who will have to purchase seed, and we do not see why the high price sure to be obtained for seed' potatoes at that time should not remain in the colony, instead of going to shippers from other places. Potatoes will be plentiful enough, at a moderate price, throughout the winter, until there is a rumour of seed time, and then those that are not provided will have to pay for their negligence. Many acres that otherwise would have been cultivated remain uncropped because seed is so dear; and next season, when men will be tilling by acres instead of by rods, and by tens and twenties instead of by single acres, it will be a much more serious matter, and, unless provision is made in time, the loss of production to the colony will be equal to a fifth or a sixth of what is actually produced. An idea was entertained on our first arrival that, on the fern land, there was nothing to be done but to burn off the natural growth, take a shallow furrow with the plough, scratch in your seed with a harrow, and that your crop was secure. We need hardly say that such an idea acted upon was sure to end in disappointment. The result of repeated experiments is that the fern land, as well as the wood land, requires some outlay in clearing and preparing for crops. The first crop procured from fern land only partially cleared of roots is not likely to be a very profitable one. There seem to be various ways of treating fern land, between which the agriculturist must choose according to his best judgment until experience shall have determined the most effectual and most economical mode. In the first place there is deep digging or ploughing,- repeatedly, so drying up the fern root, and with repeated harrowings, as new soil and fresh fern root are exposed, collecting it into heaps to.be burnt : this, appears to De of all the most effectual plan, and, if

a large portion of land were under the process at one time, the necessary exposure Which every particle of the soil would have to the action of the atmosphere, sun, and wind, before the plough or spade again returned to expose a fresh surface, would insure leaving the land in the very highest condition. The only question as to this plan is that of economy, which we have no statistics to enable us to determine upon, besides that, it would depend much on the means of the farmer. Another plan would be to take a furrow of moderate depth, harrow as effectually as the time between the ploughing and cropping would allow, burn the roots, and as soon as the seasons permitted, put in a crop. Upon this plan, it is unwise to put in any other crop than potatoes : in the first place, because the potato crop is one which allows, nay, demands, tilling during growth, which gives the opportunity for keeping down the growth of fern, and improving the crop with the horsehoe or plough at the same time ; in the second place, because it is matter of experience that no crop gets on so well in new land, which is deficient in the qualities to be obtained by exposure to the atmosphere, as the potato. However, should any be anxious to try any other crop than the potato, in land from which the fern has not been wholly eradicated, it must be drilled or dibbled in rows, so as to allow of a liberal use of the horse-hoe or plough ; the hand-hoe, if fiat, is insufficient for the purpose, if a deep hoe, too slow and too expensive. Almost all the trouble and expense gone to in the original partial clearing from fern root is of no avail unless followed up by after tilling and working, either in fallow or in crop ; you have only given fresh strength and room to the remaining fern to shoot and grow ; besides, without this tillage, your land, after the seed is put in, lies fiat, and only most partially exposed to atmospheric influence. The question between this and the previous plan is this — whether, in cases of deficiency of capital, it is better to partially clear your land, and, by way of keeping things going and getting some return at once, to take such inferior crop as partially cleared land will yield, and, by keeping up tillage with a wide drilled crop, and so retaining some of the advantages of a perfect fallow, wait longer for your land to be in really fine order, for the sake of securing some immediate return. Another plan, and one which opens a wide field for interesting experiment, is the application of some dressing, which should act chemically upon the soil, after or before a moderately deep ploughing and harrowing — we should rather say after ; something which, though it will not have the same effect as a perfect clearing from the roots by mechanical means, will yet supply to the soil much that would be given to it by lengthened exposure to the action of the weather, especially a power of retaining moisture. The fern land is not deficient in substances nutritious to any of the plants ordinarily cultivated by man ; it is rich in them, and has, we are satisfied, the material in it to make it exceedingly productive ; what it wants is activity, some vivifying or rather destructive power, something which shall give a fillip to the too slow progress of decay, and consequently of reorganization. Generally speaking, it does 'not appear 4o- want simply mechanical manures ; nutritive manures it certainly does not want, if it did we could not give them ; but what it does require is undoubtedly either a summer fallow, with much tormenting, or a chemical manure which shall supply the place of this. Lime, salt, saltpetre — any strong alkali — all these are likely to produce good effects. We have heard a report, though our memory does not enable us to trace it to any authentic source, that lime had been tried and had failed. We confess to a faith in lime notwithstanding, until we shall see good reason to believe it a failure. Salt, we understand, has been tried with success, producing fine first crops. All this, however, is matter of experiment, and experiments of this sort should be systematic, and facts noted at the time, both as to quantity and time of the year, and whether applied long before seeding or not, also especially as to after treatment. Of all plans, we confess to a penchant for the first — that of at once eradicating every sign cf fern root, and putting in no crop until that object is attained. We should recommend to commence upon fern land at the earliest of spring, with a not very deep ploughing, cross ploughing, harrowing, rolling, and harrowing, until to the depth of the ploughing no fern root is left, the land lying rough and exposed between each process, according to weather and judgment. There should then follow a ploughing deeper than the last, and, if the soil be very deep, and consequently the fern root alto, the plough should be followed imrae-

diately in its wake by a subsoil or smaller plough. The land thus turned up has to be again tormented, until it has parted with its fern root. The best mode of clearing the fern root off the land after it is well harrowed is to have a heavy roller, behind which is a gigantic rake of the same breadth of the roller, to which it is affixed at the axle. The driver, when the rake has gathered its fill, lifts it up, leaving behind the fern root in heaps fit for the fire, and on it goes again, raking up a fresh supply. The land thus should have no rest, throughout the summer continually ploughing and^ cross ploughing, and, if necessary, harrowing and rolling, until late in the autumn, or rather in the winter, the farmer may, if he like, put in a white crop, but not if he take our advice, which would be to lay the land up in narrow ridges the very last thing before winter comes on, so let it lie during the winter, and then in the spring, as early as the season allows of your putting a crop, plough in your potatoes. When your potatoes come out, your land is fit for anything and everything, or nothing. More immediately economical plans perhaps there may be ; a better plan, or a cheaper iv the end, we do not believe there is. Paring and burning, a common practice in the West of England, as well as in other parts,, especially in Ireland, might with profit, we believe, be united with any plan adopted. The process is, we believe almost too well known to require much explanation. A sod, varying from two to four inches thick, is taken off the surface of the soil, which is stood end-wise to dry, and burnt iv small heaps on the ground. The finest growth is always on the spots where the heaps were, and the ashes should, if possible, be spread and ploughed in hot, and the seed follow as soon after as possible, the damp of the earth immediately destroying the fire. There have been many objections raised to paring and burning, but these have arisen from it» abuse, especially from overtaxing the soil during the period of extraordinary productiveness which immediately follows this treatment. Judiciously managed, it is always advantageous, and is the best mode of recovering waste lands, especially where there is a rough stubbly growth or an accumulation of roots and other undecayed vegetable matter. In the thinnest soils* where it might have been thought that none could be spared for the fires, it has been v found a most profitable plan. One great object attained by ploughing in these earth ashes is that with them you give the soil a considerably increased tendency to retain moisture. A heap of earth ashes or wood ashes lying in an open field, will, from mere exposure, be soaking when there is not a sign of moisture in the surrounding soil. It . is to be remembered also that, if this is done at the end of winter or in early spring, which it may always be in this climate, you destroy a host of enemies, in the shape of grubs and insects' eggs of innumerable kinds.

The whole of the Suburban Sections are now given out. The selection of the remaining portion commenced on Monday. The large wood at the Motuaka was soon absorbed. Mr. Cotterell's last survey then received due attention, confined, however, chiefly to the wooded sections, a few of the Moutere sections iv the most advantageous positions running a neck-and-neck race with them. The great stand-by was then the Moutere, a district presenting fewer specimens of the very finest land than any other, at the same time containing a larger number of good average sections, having also quantities of fine timber. The district of the Motuaka lying between the Moutere river and the " large wood " was not much set by, to judge of -the numbers left unselected to the last ; yet we are not at all certain that its gravelly sirlfece, caused by frequent floods, may not cover a fine and deep soil : the experiment, however, waj evidently looked upon as dangerous. Thirteen sections were reserved by Mr. Patchett, to supply which, as far as they will go, a survey is to be made of some of the islands at the mouth of the Waimea. There it nothing more now but to, go to Work ; there' is no further excuse.

One would hardly commence upon -a new year, in the continuation of the work^vttked out for us of assisting in the jndicioftft^|B»» nization of these islands, -without some special notice of Time's advance, and of what that advance may have brought to us. These time-marks are good halting-pls/ws,

and the opportunity they offer should not be thrown away. What from the experience of the past we may learn, and how apply it for future guidance, may at such times be fitliest taken note of; what of warning is in it may now best be sought for and profited by ; whatever cause of hopeful anticipation, be earnestly laid to heart, as the best support and stimulus in future labour and endeavour. In looking back over the past, our first large fraction of a year in New Zealand, few flf us but will find, we imagine, continual instances of altered views — long- established one-ideas turned topsy-turvey — pet-notions rudely shoved forth by the shoulders unwillingly enough — memorials here and they of great mistakes, irremediable, useful only as guides for future avoidance; and, in many instances, looking inwards, there is to be seen nothing but breakage, scattered fragments, the mournful lest confusion — in fact, a human spiritual dwelling-house turned out at windows, and, as yet, not the faintest sign of restoration, re-ordering, rearranging. In these newly- forming social states, men are brought into an immediate contact with first principles, to which they are -wholly unaccustomed. Only dealing with principles wrapped in the many foldings and multifarious environment of a long-established community, they know not the bare thing when they see it ; and having this untrapped, unadorned, unfettered, free acting power to treat with, apply, subdue, and rule, men are blank puzzled and confused, especially what are called your practical sort, who mostly stumble on blindly through it all, powerless enough. It would not seem to be altogether a disadvantage, whatever confusion it may create, this being forced into dealing with principles themselves and not semblances of them, but rather the contrary. The probabilities of misapplication are far less in the end. The first confusion is the only one, to end in unaccustomed and, we may hope, lasting clearness of vision, and consequent judicious and decisive action. Departure from an apparent, undisguised principle is quickly seen, and the course altered. It is decidedly an advantage to be able to see the line you have to walk by, not to have to search for it by confused land-marks, without distinguishing mark. At least, it is well to have one's directions written plainly in a language one understands, rather than to have to pick out their meaning from obsure hand-writing in an unknown language, by aid of a dictionary. Of all this, then, and what such abstract considerations of our position may lead to, we would simply remind our fellow settlers, that amongst the immediately personal duties arising to themselves and their families there is also mixed a long list of duties by no means less imperative touching the social and political, welfare of their new country. It would seem, however. little it may be in accordance with the views generally enter- * tamed on the subject, that it is more essentially the duty of the press to look to these things ; and though many seek only in a newspaper, especially a colonial one, for lists of shipping, hints of commercial speculation, progress of agriculture, and such like, yet that there is no fitter place for earnest treating and urgent recommendation and advancement of matters of a higher sort; more especially in these days, when much that *ras reverenced in times past is losing its deserving of such and its power of .retaining it — in a time when the old teachers are no longer gathered round, for that they have too long neglected their duty. If it we.re only possible to impress upon early settlers in a new country how high a duty, how important to a large section of their fellow men, it is that they have to fulfil — how much it is to have the moulding r of the mutual relations between man and man, in a large community — to have the jfa* u pon one to account to a future and 9*partUl tribunal, of what we have done -»nd what we have left undone in achieving the great work that has. been committed to us of forming a nation. It is not a matter of flight moment. We pity the mind of

the man who can think that it is so. Here is a free and unfettered field to work in, if we can only prove ourselves worthy to work in it. Make asocial state, where free minds can live in" contact with their fellows ungalled—where to be respectable shall not be a term of reproach with all good men — and where public virtue may be a thing conceivable without the explanation of either hypocrisy or folly. ' Little enough has been done as yet towards any such end—little enough thought of it. "At least we must eat and drink—that is our first duty:" truly so. It is the progress after the procuring the necessaries of life that is to be feared. The man who works hard for the first essential, food, and only just procures it, cannot be far out of his duty. It is the after doing; whether slothful luxury, avaricious grasping, or a far higher occupation of wealth and mental ability, shall be the sign of respectability amongst us; whether physical indulgence shall be our only pleasure, covetous accumulating our only employment. i

Yesterday week, six geese were stolen from the premises of R. Tod Esq., Ellendale. Two men, each parrying a bag, supposed to contain the geese, were .met by Mr. Tod's stock-keeper on their way to Nelson, but being at the time ignorant of the robbery, he took but little notice of them.

We have received Sydney papers to the 11th December. They contain nothing of importance beyond the Indian and Chinese intelligence given in another column. The price of wheat at Hobart Town, was 7s. per bushel. There is every reason to expect an abundant harvest in Van Diemen's Land. By an extract from a Port Phillip paper we learn that in the district of Lower Hawkesbury the crop is very defective, and the country suffering greatly from drought.

To the Editor of the Nelson Examine ft. Sib—Can you, or any of your readers, inform me for what purpose a deep and dangerous pit has been dug on the Maori acre, facing the Court House. I was told the other day that the Police Magistrate had set the prisoners, at work there to dig a public well, but-on examining what has been done, I find my informant must have been mis. taken, for whoever saw or heard of a well nine or ten feet in diameter. My own opinion is, that it was intended for the purpose which it is well calculated to answer, namely, a trap for strangers to fall into on dark nights, and probably get drowned in, or to catch drunkards, and save the police the trouble of apprehending them, being most admirably situated for those purposes. . Do you not think, Mr. Editor, that, with so many public works of which we stand in need, the prisoners might be employed to some really useful purpose. Our Magistrate thought so at one time, and accordingly a bridge was commenced across the Maiti. For some reason, quite sufficient no doubt, the whole thing was abandoned, and the labour thus expended entirely wasted. His next great undertaking was to enclose the prison with a substantial mud wall, but after diging a sort of trench for' a foundation (now nearly filled up), nothing more was accomplished.' Sometime elapsed before anything else was attempted,- until. the. .weather -became v?arm._ and water scarce, when the large pit facing the Court House was dug, which, if allowed to remain in its present state, will certainly become the receptacle for all the blind puppies drowned in Nelson. Surely the inhabitants, by whom the prisoners and constables are maintained, might have some return in the way of labour for their money. As things are managed at present, there are five or six constables, whose only business is to watch the prisoners whilst they do —nothing; for I have never yet heard of their preventing a single robbery, nor of their discovering the perpetrator of one. Yours, &c. Inquirer.