THE RISE AND FALL OF H. G.-S. AND A. M. C. 155 



sites; pitfalls, holes, under-runners, bogs, lay exposed. All this had 

 been accomplished, but, alas ! much of the improvement was of a tem- 

 porary character Stuart and Kiernan had cut off a larger chunk 

 than they could chew. A process of contraction, of ebb to be fully 

 explained hereafter had set in over eastern Tutira, where all the im- 

 provements had been lavished. The flock was insufficiently large to 

 eat off wholly the spring rush of bracken. The consequence was that 

 along the lower slopes, about the outlying corners, over the cold damp 

 spurs facing south and east, upon the poorer portions everywhere, 

 bracken began to sneak away, to unfold itself, to recover its hold, once 

 more to overrun the ground ; during the later part, in fact, of Stuart 

 & Keirnan's occupation of Tutira a process of general contraction in 

 the feeding area had begun ; towards the end even of their brief day 

 the sum-total of winter feed had diminished. 



When H. G.-S. and A. M. C. purchased the run the flock had been 

 squeezed, on to the upper slopes, tops, and sunny faces, the balance of 

 the whilom grassed lands having reverted to bracken. It was a 

 process which even the Stuarts and Kiernan could not have anticipated, 

 still less was it comprehensible to the new owners of Tutira. They were 

 aware only that a certain number of sheep had on one occasion been 

 shorn : they decided that numbers must be kept up by purchase of fresh 

 drafts. They bought 3000 ewes, which, added to the 1000 lambs saved 

 from wild pig, brought the total up to 11,500 of which number 500 

 culls were sold to George Merritt. H. G.-S. and A. M. C. began, therefore, 

 their first winter with 11,000 sheep. Of these they clipped 7400 at the 

 following shearing. 



The losses of the two previous seasons had not unnaturally shaken 

 the confidence of the National Mortgage and Agency Company, with 

 whom the station banked. They advised us to sell. It was good advice 

 the difficulty was to find a buyer, the number of fools in the district 

 being limited. 1 Again large purchases of ewes were made, and a dry season 

 helping us, we managed to shear 9200, and to reduce the death-rate to a 

 little over 10 per cent. It was but a respite, for the following year again 

 there was an enormous loss. The clip, too, was very light, for a starved 

 flock grows a miserable fleece. The adage, " feeding is half breeding," 

 was unknown to us ; we chose to believe that the station had hitherto 



1 As reason for this sudden desire to sell, it was given out that the climate did not suit our 

 constitutions this to stock and station agents ! ! 



