Original Correspondence.

New Zealander, Volume 3, Issue 160, 11 December 1847, Page 2

Original Correspondence.

To the Editor of,Aht New Zealander, Sir^As wy iufofmation, given frpm as to the resources of this Colony is a matter of public utility, Pgladiy avail myself of a ipacc in the columns of your useful Journal, for a few hints on a hubject of such importance. During a residence of eight years in New Zealand, the far greater portion of which has beeu spent in the interior of the country, it has been a matter of serious consideration with me, to come, if possible, to a cor. rect conclusion, as to which species of agriculture this Colony is best adapted fur, and which would prove sufficiently profitable to make it a general pursuit. And as a,correci knowledge on these subjects cannot be too widely, diffused, 1 submit my ideas to the community at large, but with all due deference to the opinion! and experience of others— for. one particular motive J have in view, while writing this, Is, that it maybe the mernsof eliciting publicly 4s much accurate information, both of a Statistical and Colonial character, ai it is possible for our fellow-Colonists to be in possession of. It can hardly be expected that a large capital will be immediately employed in developing the resources of these islands. Time undoubtedly will expire, before we cau really tell the extent to which we are indebted to Nature for her indigenous productions) yet we are already acquainted with much that is valuable and useful, and although we may regret our inability to enter these promising fields of speculation with large Undertakings, we cannot be inumsible to the numerous openings, for nipn of nioderaje capital* and industrious' farmers, and laboring men! Our greatest successes in producing exports, will be the consequence of more promising times, and a more flourishing aspect of commercial prosperity, and till these times arrive, let us assiduously endeavour to open the road to a profitable employment of such capital as we have, or are HkeJy to be in possession of; and facilitate as much as we possibly can, the entrance of the Emigrant on his arduous undertaking, in securing himself in comfort-arid moderate independence.' There is one vegetable production in New iZenlatyJ, which has excited the most sanguine expectations, as an export, provided proper machinery could be constructed for the purpose of oleanjmg it— tbji is, the flax plant, and I myself "still imagine, that if properly enquired iuto, the greatest results would be'tne consequence. 1 may be mistaken, but lam inclined to the opinion, that the knowledge of its peculiarities are but vaguely and indifferently understood, and that precipitate conclusions have beeu drawn, as to howfar it may be made immediately profitable. For instance, my own experience would lead me to'consider the introduction of large and expensive machinery, at present, as premature, as we are not yet able cheaply to command a large supply, of the finest leaf; ,this will be readily understood when the following circumstance* have hud a fair copsideration'. Firstly, the great; variety in point of quality, some being coarse and valueless, and others particularly fine, and these growing promiscuously together in the flax grounds, and consequently if gathered judiicriminately, the fibre produced' would be very inferior, and would beetle very badly.Secondly, if the<e fl«x grounds were .to ,be cropped Jor the use of European machinery, the Natives '• would never take the trouble to cull the finest flax, which, might be widely dispersed ut distant intervals, /over a large tract of cniintry. Thirdly, * from the knowledge I have of the Native character, lam satisfied they would have the conscience to ask as much for the Has in its raw state as when cleaned. (Fourthly, that atNatives will only work by fits and starts, .afcfj.nt) certain :«ewoni,>uch asjplantingand weeding, audwiljLnojt leave' their cultivations for any other employment^ .the machinery must necessarily be useloji a great part of each year. Fifthly, it would never pay to employ Enropeaa laborers to gather flax,, that it, to say to wahder*over atract of country in search o/, leaves, df a.finiquality,without the flax grew in abundance ,cloie by, the jnachi--nery. I think if these facts are properly. we jgt^ed, it ■ will prevent a useless expenditure of cttj)itaj,, in tbe erection of machinery, capital which may beprofitably employed in producing large flax; grounds, either by jv company, or by individuals, and, (Scouring^certain and abundant supply of the ftneit, species jfor^ojeaning. I think, from the preceding reasons, it may: readily be j deduced, that we cannot anticipate the production of a large Colonial export of this article for ' European* manufacturers, so long as we depend .upon «suoh as is grpwn in its t wild, state. As an article, Qf.Natjvemanufacture, its quantity is, and 'likely remain,, very inconsiderable; and of this 'fact lam satisfied, from my knowledge of . (heir ha--bits. They will never scrape flax, 10 Ippg as articles for trade can bo, procured Jjy them ifl,any otbcr~ way ; and the facilities for doing so, are [increasing every day, by the sale of their lands, stock, ,and pay-'-merit for labour. .If the natives scrape flax, in their settlements, they have sometim.es a long distance to* go for the leaves, perhaps a distance ,of six^or seveu miles, and the bundle of leaves carried by one roanwould not probably , turn out r moro than six or eight pounds of clean 6brc. TJxsirJgeneral practice is to go ■ out to -the flax grounds, and put up temporary huts,, then they have to; car,ry,Jood fipmjtheir settlement for their consurop'libn'tiU they haveYuiishcd scraping.

In fact they wiH-not scrapo flax, and nothing will induce them to go to the desert, as they call places diitantf rom their settlements, upless they get a cask of tobacco advanced, to smoke while they are cleaning it • and experience has taught almost all those who have heen engaged in the flax trade, that it is a cer tain loss to make any advances for this purpose, and that the attempt to do any trade in flax is fruitless. I think it will be found upon enquiry that 1 have clearly proved how little bqnefit is to be derived from this plant, so long as the present state of things continue, and till proper steps are taken towards its cultivation. The varieties of New Zealand flax appear to be but little known, and the necessity of becoming ac ' nuainted with their respective qualities, very little considered— enquiry however should be devoted to the subject ; I will point out a few, but many others no doubt might be enumerated. Pari Taniwa, a fine flax ; Pari Kawariki, do.; Owe, do.; Kohunga, do.; E ifcangi aka nga ke aka, do.; Tutaimann, Uo.j 11- ' hori, excelleut fibre; Wararaki, coarse, very; Arakeke, a tolerable fibre, also the general name for There is a mat made by some of the natives, the « Kaitaka," which has a soft and silky appearance, this appearance is not altogether owing to the natural superiority of the flax of which it is made, in point of quality ; but it is owing to the great care bestowed in bleaching and beating it with stones, and also it heing wove with a thread half the size of that used in life ordinary mats. I shall now endeavour to prove that there is every encoui accent and every, facility offered fprthecultw ▼ation of flat in this isltirid 'The natural moisture of the climate U its fostering parent. The general aipect of the coantry ii tolerably high fern land, and whee this is tbe case the soil U light and deep, and well adapted to flax which requires this description of soil to grow in perfection. The flax of New Zealand is exceedingly hardy, and very fibrous in it« root, holding well to the earth when young, thus rendering unnecessary, considerable expense and labour, required in cultivat}ng flax in Europe, where they run poles hung with brushwood through the plantation to prevent its being laid with the wind when young, or if there was any danger from the violent gales which frequently occur in the itland, this difficulty might be obviated by leaving a ridge of fern growing between each line of plants which would completely protect it from such casualties, and as it would not materially affect its growth, nn acre of ground would be much more speedily put into cultivation, by leaving alternate ridges of fern. The flax of New Zealand, native manufacture, hns realized a good fair price in the English mark, t hitherto ; and when as I have before pointed out it must have always have been of a mixed and inferior quality. Surely we may reaionably expect a much better price, when its culture it attended to and the finest speciei selected for that purpose, and if the flax as it is sent to England at prenrnt is fit for the purposes required, the cultivation of flax must prove highly lucrative here. For when once the plant has arrived at maturity, the leaves may be cute\ery two yean, for four, five or six cuttings ; this the natives do themrelves, and the flax you see growing about their settlements has moit of it been cut »d infinitum. Each matured plant has from twenty to forty slips in its root and each of these slips may be planted out separately and will individually arrive at perfection. These thirty five or forty whole roots would divide into one thousand ilipi quite sufficient to plant au acre of ground and by these means, flax plantations might be increaied to any extent. A pood plant will yield from one pound to a pound and a half, and even ten pounds of clean flax. Lastly, I would observe, that in the absence of ma. chinery, no better substitute could be required, than the labour of the settlen wife and children; a cbi'd may be taught in half an hour to scrape flux, and a few days practice would make a skilful and expeditious workman ; four or five little people thus engaged would by industry scrape nearly two hundred weight of fiax per week ; a native can scrape eighteen pounds weight between sunrise and sunset. And now who will not nay that it i» possible to locnte thousands of industrious families in this country, who might live in the enjoyment of comfort and independence trom this in* dividual pursuit. May not the government find useful employment for the pemioners in this branch of colonial induitry. CRAYON. Pbc. 8, 1847..

To the Editor of the Neu) Zealander. Sir.— l read your correspondent " X." in your Saturday before lust number, and never were my sentimenu, and I believe. those of the light minded portion of the coloniiti, more truly exprened than in his letter. I have been here during the whole time of which he speaks, and have silently observed the rise nnd fall, and afterwards the attempt at .resuscitation of the little' " oppoiition clique," but I have looked in vainfor. any good end they have accomplished. It it quite true that they exulted over the grave to 1 vrhich they helped to hasten a kind hearted man — our! Governor, for the cup of his last days whs kept) brimful of the gall which was cruelly mingled for hint' by this, unfeeling party. And for what reason, were they so.inhuman ? — Because he had proved as great a foe to land tharki in New Zealand while a Governor „ as he had been to pirates in the' West India Islands while a nival officer. He wa» succeeded by, >■*. nun as stubborn as themselves— but mare consistent in hit obstinacy ; and when the newi of his succe'sior'a •appointment reached our shores, I observed the dames they, kindled to burn his effigy, reflected on their tallow countenances, while they feasted, their eyes in ga~ 'Ting upon the shadow vanishing before the element -which they would fain have kindled to devour the substance; And' why did' they hate the man with sueh 1 "fearful hatred ?— Because, being well aware' of their: ruling motive, lie wou'd have none- of' their counsel' <nor liiten to their reproof. But another came, who soon won their favor and! -esteem. Unsuspicious and easily- cajoled, he was led! captive at their Will. He.called them to his counsels, - and they led him wheresoever they would. Ten thousand acres of land in a valley, on the banks ff a large, river, .or. an .island or two, near the metropolis, , were' granted; without much ado, and the weakroinded man' 'Was urged' to further acts of the kind; by the honied! •plaudits of the unexpectant gainers', in' their publica-, tion, which should have been, and should now be, en., titled " The band sharking Advocate, and Aboriginal! Despoiler," in such terms, as " Governor Fitzßoy has 'done more in a few days to effect a satisfactory settle-i ment' of the' Land Claims, than an expensive comraiiiion> has accomplished in as many years." Grants! over exteniive tracts ofcountry, continued to be issued ; -and men whom Christian England) had: despatched to this country, for holy (purposes, so far departed! from the intent of their mission, as to< become participator* in the spoil. But here the mischief did not end. A party existed who; tfrom the first were hostile to any thing. like. the. order) of a settled government in the country— for, conscious* -of' the mature of their traffic with the native*; tlieyj

feared the jealous eye of British law- A hue and cry was therefore raised against the establishment of Go* Ternment authority at one of the oldest settlements, and the natives were stimulated to take an active part in the opposition. The opportunity was snatched by our self appointed leaders here, the chimera of " free trade" was foisted upon an affrighted Governor, and, in a country where the value of a man's property, either real or personal, wai subject to fluctuation every day, a property rate tax was imposed upon the settlers in lieu of the abolished customs. , This scheme was subjected to the tes% but when its failure became apparent, the originators quietly took themselves off, and left their dupe to flounder through the mire into which they had led him. The deficiency in revenue was from time to time made good by fresh and frequent issues from the Government printing press of paper money j but the ruin to which this system of coinage would inevitably lead became too apparent,] the direct taxation bubble burst, and the Customs were re-established.— But repentance came too late, and Capt. Fitzßoy's unceremonious recal, and his subsequent cool reception at home, were the results of allowing himself to be vie timiied to the selfish plant of a pack of upstart, theoretical politicians. Tiiey have now to deal with a man differently con' stltuted from any of his predecessors. He came here with some knowledge of their character, for he was accustomed to watch their manoeuvres at no great distance off. He is willing to receive and act upon their hints, if they have any that are good to give — but he will not allow them to drive after their own fashion. — Some of them arc furious that he questions their right } and title to, their countless acres,and th^y would gladly serve him now* aslhey would ShOrtland once of 'yore. Such is a brief outline of tbe acts and deeds of the Auckland Opposition Clique— from the time that they first sat in conolave in " Glen more Cottage" to the present day. Several have lately joined their ranks, and made common cause with them in agitation ; and being as they are, •' will schooled in the hidden meaning of Maui i expressions" they are likely to serve the ends of their party well, by scattering the seed of disaffection amongst the natives, and exciting them to acts of hostility against the (rorernment. But,* now, Sir, let me ask, what benefits have been conferred upon this country by the conduct of these men ? Have they themselves ever tried to encourage prosperity, or foster unanimity in the Colony ? Those who have traced their career must answer — no ; — on the contrary, the early members of this dub*, finding their own wild schemes for self-aggrandizement frutta'.eil, cared little for the disorder and disaffection thry produced, and would have overthrown the fabric of t colony which had been raised, even should they themselves, like Samson, have perished in the wreclc. The late accessions to their strength arc men who icem to have imbibed a Kill greater degree of this spirit. Having learned from lessons taught them by a former Governor to look upon themselves as the Guardians of the Colony, without whose watchful care it could not i long exiit, they did not, relish the " rash attempt" of Gapt. Grey to rule without them. As interpreters he would have used them, but to this they would not condescend—and the colonists North and South were well content, for they had good reason to be suspicious of their faithfulness in this capacity. To other occupations they hava turned their attention— but their jealous eye is keeping vigilant watch upon the man who cast them off. To effect this purpose more effi ciently they have joined the party that atone time they professed to abhor— and one of these gentlemen who felt himself the most illused of all, being reiident here, receives communications from his distant confederates, and sends them forth to the public in the most d angerous shape, through the medium of the Southern Cmi— as witneis his " raruraru" article of Saturday last. You will, I trust, pardon me, Sir, for entering info so lengthy a detail of what is so notorious here, but I think, with X, that those who have lately arrived, and are likely to arrive amongst us, should be warned of the dangerous influence that is now exerting ihelfin the colony. It must have been noticed that' all and tingulxr the acts and policy of Governor Grey have been despised and pronounced either arbitrary or pernicious by these mm ; and that too in the very teeth of our dawning progress and prosperity — arising out of the fostering assistance bestowed upon the colony by Great Britain, at the recommendation of His Excellency. The dark and gloomy cloud which has so long overshadowed us u vanishing, and a brighter prospect breaking upon our view.— Yet, narrowminded prejudice urges some to blind their eyes to the fact. The curse and bane of the colony is about to be removed, by the diminishing of a number of the old vast land holding* to the legal and somewhat wholesome extent of 2560 acres ;; — jet the greedy holdeis cannot see that this very pruning must ultimately add to their own strength and value of tlicir property. Although unable themselves to occupy the lam*, or place others upon it, yet they would prefer that it should still lie waste to the sun, and he " called after their' own name 3," than that it should be covered with a teeming population by government interference. The colonies must not be surprised then, if the late announcement of the renewal of emigration should meet with the disapprobation of this party, for they are well aware that all the land they hold above the' amount just mentioned must be relinquished to prepare for iho influx. However, those who value the country, nnd have improved their circumstances in it — and they are not a few— will not be readily- induced to set their face against emigration. The plan which has 1 been here adopted is* certainly a wise one, and will 1 , have tbe effect of furnishing us with a class of emigrants well suited to the country. In many way* it has its advantages. The application of well known honest men here to have their friends brought out, will be a> safer guarantee for their suitability, than the ■pecies of certificate* which are usually produced' at the agency offices at home to ensure a passage— for ' there are few here who will be inclined to write for 'those that would do them discredit on their arrival.— Again, the colony will be saved to a great e&tenti from • the expensive keeping of a host of emigrants on their arrival, until such time as they found employment, for thoie who write for their friends,' will take good- care ' to prepare for their reception— and when th>-y come < they will have all the experience of their friends to t guide them, which will save us the twelve months' schooling which. men usually require on coming into a 1 ! new colony, before they are much benefit to the toil. And then, again, the ends of many of our settlers, who purchased Jandunder the pre-emption system will be more speedily accomplished than perhaps they anticipated. Many an industrious man at that time struggled ■hard for the means to take advantage of the Govern-, ment license to purchase land on which they mightlo- . cate th«ir relatives, when they could get them out— and now they have an opportunity offered for their passage. The land lately granted to this class f 'claimants will not long lie idle, and the good purposes •of Governor Filz ßoy, where not abused, will yet be an- 1 swered in these men's few hundred acres ; for who can better improve the soil than those who 'have been' brought up to its cultivation. They will bring with' them the experience, and perseveiance of practical men, and find when they come! a fertile soil, and genia\

climate, by which they w ill very won enrich themselves as well as their precursors. Let us then have men from the agricultural districts of our mother land— young men i as well ai those of middle ace with rising families, who have been trained to industry, and will not shirk it here. With luch a clais of men abundantly poured in, and the nntiye l.ibonr which nan be procured in the country, this Colony will rise to that pre-emiuence to wbich no doubt it is destined, despite of all the mean* to crush it, which are now in operation. I am, &c., An Eauly Resident.