FERN-CRUSHING 171 



of thousands after the third fire, now during the fourth period germinated 

 in hundreds of millions. As before, but in far larger numbers, they had 

 self-sown themselves or been blown from other parts of the run or carried 

 in by stock. Thus in one way or another enormous numbers of Cape- 

 weed, Suckling clover, and Mouse-ear chickweed seedlings appeared on 

 the freshly-burnt surface. There was the usual though diminishing 

 recrudescence of the Thistle (Cnicus lanceolatus) ; certain tracks were 

 more thickly overrun by Leucopogon Frazeri, the prickly heath already 

 mentioned ; Houtawai (Accena australis) obtained, too, its share of the 

 fern-vacated ground. Fresh arrivals also, such as Pomaderris phyli- 

 csefolia and a couple more heaths Cyathodes acerosa and Leucopogon 

 fasciculatus took up permanent quarters in a small way. Rat's-tail, 

 though increasing slowly, occupied the spaces overrun with a hirsute 

 mat, ousting all other growth. Lastly appeared Clustered clover (Tri- 

 folium glomeratum) and Suffocated clover (T. suffocatum). From this 

 time forward, in fact, wherever conditions were favourable, aliens and 

 natives alike struggled with the moribund bracken and with one another 

 for possession of the soil. 



As before, the Rocky Staircase was at first heavily stocked and the 

 failing fern again heavily punished by sheep. As before, too, a certain 

 number of bags of English grass were scattered abroad, but in this fourth 

 period seed was scattered only on the steepest, best parts of the paddock. 

 Even on them it made so poor a show that English grasses, such as rye- 

 grass and cock's-foot, have never again been surface-sown on this type of 

 land such elements of virtue as may have been in the soil had been 

 used up. 



A conspicuous feature of the fourth period was the multiplication of 

 manuka, its rise illustrating the law of progressive increase of new plants 

 in units, hundreds, hundreds of thousands, and millions. The spread of 

 this plant now began to cause serious uneasiness. On the upper portions 

 of the hill-slopes from which fern had been worn out by the trampling 

 and nibbling of sheep, manuka during this fourth period increased year 

 by year. On the middle slopes where the fern-growth was becoming thin 

 and short in stalk, single manuka plants or little groups were also to be 

 found not far apart from one another. Even where slopes merged into 

 flattish land, individual specimens appeared. It dispossessed danthonia 

 and microelena from the hard bare tops where they had seemingly estab- 

 lished themselves ; practically these grasses disappeared. If not wholly 



