14 Transactions. — Miscellaneous. 



sea-coast and on the low river-flats ; but as the former 

 are limited in extent and the latter are more exposed 

 to frosts — besides taking a good while to dry up after 

 the winter rains — advantage was taken of well-drained shel- 

 tered spots on higher ground for the early plantings, though 

 the work of cultivation was attended by much harder la- 

 bour. The volcanic lands scattered throughout the north- 

 ern peninsula, where not too stony, offered every advantage ; 

 and the extent to which the cultivation on these was car- 

 ried on may be judged from the large areas on which the 

 blocks of scoria have been gathered and piled into heaps to 

 make room for the crop. Speaking generally, a light porous 

 soil was preferred, but where this was not available the land 

 was improved by a layer of sand from the river-bed or from 

 wherever it could be got. In Waikato the clay land was often 

 treated in this manner with sand from the pumice plains, 

 where the pits from which the supply was procured are still 

 to be seen. 



In choosing a site for the plantation other beside agricul- 

 tural conditions had to be considered, especially in the case of 

 a small or weak community. The crops being almost the 

 only available personal property of the Maoris in the growing 

 season, it was necessary to secure them as far as possible from 

 the sudden raid of a taua, or war party, which might happen 

 at any moment. This was generally done by scattering a 

 number of small plots over a wide area, and placing them as 

 far as possible in unlikely situations. In the case of a power- 

 ful tribe occupying a strong pa (fortified village) such precau- 

 tions were unnecessary, and the cultivations were generally 

 quite open and frequently of large extent.* 



Cultivation. 

 In preparing a piece of land for cultivation much had to 

 be done long before it was ready for planting, and, considering 

 the nature of the tools available, the labour must have been 

 almost incredible. The whole surface of the country was 

 covered either with bush, fern, or tea-tree scrub, except, per- 

 haps, on some of the river-flats, and even these had to be 

 cleared of a rank growth of rushes, toetoe, flax-bushes, and 

 other plants found in such places. The work was always 

 done in the late autumn, when the weather was dry and 

 breezy and the soil in a -suitable condition for working. At 

 this season also the fern-root (aruhe), an important article 

 of food, was at its best. Fire was the principal agency 

 for preliminary operations. For a bush-clearing (waerenga) 

 a place was generally chosen at the edge of the forest, 



* Cf. Colenso, loc. cit. 



