Walsh. — On the Cultivation and Treatment of the Kumar a. 13 



some of the earlier books on New Zealand. I do not pretend 

 to have by any means exhausted the subject, and shall be 

 verv glad if my paper is supplemented by those who are able 

 to give additional information. 



Varieties of the Kumara. 



A very general tradition states that, not finding the 

 kumara on their first arrival in the country, the Maoris made 

 an expedition back to their old home among the Pacific 

 islands to secure a supply for cultivation. That they brought 

 back a large and well-assorted stock is evidenced by the 

 number of varieties they possessed. Mr. Colenso states that 

 not less than thirty of these had come under his notice, 

 while several of the old sorts were already known to be lost. 

 All these varieties were well marked and permanent, and must 

 have been produced before their introduction here, as, al- 

 though occasionally flowering, the plant has never been known 

 to seed in this country. They had each their separate name,* 

 and were distinguished by different peculiarities in size, 

 shape, and colour, some being valued for their superior 

 flavour and others as giving a more abundant crop, while 

 probably certain of them were specially adapted to local con- 

 ditions of soil and situation. 



As the European food plants — especially the potato —came 

 into use the relative importance of the kumara somewhat 

 declined, and many of the smaller varieties became gradually 

 extinct, the cultivation being chiefly confined to a few of the 

 larger sorts, including the " merikana " (American), so called 

 from the American whalers, who brought it from the Pacific 

 islands. This was a long white twisted tuber, and was the 

 first addition to the old native varieties. Of late years the 

 number has been still further reduced, and at the present time 

 the " waina " (vine), a later introduction — so called from being 

 occasionally propagated by cuttings from the vines or runners 

 —is almost the only sort used for a general crop. This, being 

 a very heavy yielder of robust habit, has quite taken the place 

 of the old smaller varieties, a few of which, however, are still 

 grown in some of the more primitive districts as a special 

 delicacy. 



Soil and Situation. 



Though, of course, some are more suitable than others, 

 roughly speakiug, almost any soil will do for the kumara 

 so long as the situation is dry and the plants are not ex- 

 posed to the cold southerly winds or to the spring and 

 autumn frosts. The heaviest crops are obtained on the 

 sand and shingle terraces above high- water mark on the 



* For a list of the names, see Colenso, loc. cit., Appendix A. 



