STOWAWAYS 



253 



Basil Thyme. 



seeds. The two grasses had secreted themselves amongst the purchased 

 sacks. The round peas of the vetch had no doubt been spilt on the 

 floor of the seed store, and been subsequently 

 swept up. The minute seed of the foxglove, too, 

 had doubtless thus also been shovelled into the 

 sacks. For ten or fifteen years, at any rate, before 

 crested dog's-tail was purposely sown on the run, 

 a few plants of this grass were always to be seen 

 in Stuart's Paddock ; vetch and foxglove flourish 

 to this day in the Black Stag country, then in- 

 cluded in Stuart's Paddock. 1 



The sowing of the " Second Range " gave us 

 basil thyme (Calamintha acinos), hop-clover (Tri- 

 folium procumbens), and meadow or " giant " fescue 

 (Festuca elatior). The first-named has remained 

 always on the original spot of its appearance, but 

 though thus stationary has managed to survive the smothering of 

 bracken and subsequent fires, as described in the shrinkage and expan- 

 sion of open land. Hop-clover has never appeared 

 happy on Tutira. After a struggle for two or 

 three seasons it disappeared from the original site, 

 and though renewed from time to time by later 

 arrivals the plant has never managed to hold out 

 for long. Meadow or " giant " fescue, as it is often 

 called in Hawke's Bay, was for long represented 

 on the run by a single plant, near the crossing 

 of " Smother " creek. This grass, both the typical 

 form and a German sub-species, was at a later 

 date purposely sown, but without success. The 

 soils of central Tutira do not suit a plant which 

 has become a curse to the alluvial lands of the 



T> White Lychnis. 



rrovmce. 



The ploughing of forty acres of alluvial land on Kahikanui Swamp 



1 We had bought from Mr Fred Fulton, besides tailings and sweepings, .100 worth of 

 hulled fog. The fact has always remained in my mind because of the visit paid to us on that 

 occasion. No doubt he had been informed that we were just about bankrupt, which indeed 

 was the case, and had ridden up to see about payment. His relief, I have often thought, must 

 almost have equalled ours when he got the cash. These were the times of touch-and-go, when 

 we were never quite sure that any considerable cheque would be honoured. 



