Pond and Maclaurin. — On the Soil of the Taupo Plains. 239 



Contrary to our expectations, we found a large percentage of 

 the finely powdered soil in all our samples, ranging from 15-7 

 in No. 3 to 55-94 in No. 4. We have found also, as this 

 would lead us to believe, that the capillarity of the soil is ex- 

 cellent, provided that due consolidation is obtained. The 

 absence of this, owing to the loose texture of the soil, has in 

 our opinion very much to do with the sparsity of vegetation 

 growing on the plains. If this is remedied and nitrogen fur- 

 nished there should be no reason, other than a climatic one, 

 why the plains should not produce a large quantity of valu- 

 able feed. The mere ploughing, harrowing, and sowing will 

 certainly not attain this object ; and, although rolling with 

 heavy rollers will give a certain amount of compression, the 

 absence of clay and humus will not allow of consolidation 

 without frequent rolling. This will prove costly, and not 

 yield nearly as satisfactory results as that secured by the 

 tramping of sheep or cattle. 



Now, the folding of sheep in small paddocks treated as we 

 have advised would be by far the most effectual method, but 

 the absence of more than the most meagre fare would entail 

 a very heavy mortality at first. It is possible, however, to 

 choose a more hardy animal in the goat, and by this means 

 to achieve results which we think will prove successful in 

 several ways. In the United States Year-book of the 

 Department of Agriculture for 1898 is a very carefully 

 written paper on the Angora goat, by A. Barnes, where it 

 ■ is shown that in almost every State, with the exception of 

 Alaska, the Angora goat can be raised, and, in many given in- 

 stances, with considerable profit. The greatest success has 

 been attained with them where the altitude is about 500 ft. 

 and the climate fairly dry. Their ability to live and thrive 

 on herbage which other animals reject is shown, whilst the 

 habit of travelhng much further than sheep in feeding make 

 the feasibility of herding them unquestioned. As the writer 

 says, "There is the additional incidental benefit that whatever 

 foul land is regularly pastured by these animals for a few 

 years becomes clean, weedless, and bushless, and, usually 

 being evenly fertilised by them also, runs into nutritious 

 grasses." 



The following statements from the same paper will give 

 a better idea of the value this animal has proved under cir- 

 cumstances not much different from those we are consider- 

 ing :— 



" The ease with which they can be kept, living as they do 

 on weeds, briers, browse, and other coarse herbage, fits them 

 for many portions of our country where sheep cannot be sus- 

 tained to advantage, while their ability and disposition to 

 defend themselves against dogs evidence a value peculiar to 



