76 FRUITS, VEGETABLES, AND SOIL 
native grass, something of the nature of the Ca- 
nary-grass, grows in its place, and effectually 
prevents the fern from springing up again. 
Every diversity of European vegetable and fruit 
flourishes in New Zealand. The gardens abound 
with broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, beans, pease, 
asparagus, kale, turnips, potatoes, gooseberries, 
and currants ; and the orchards with excellent ap- 
ples, pears, peaches, plums, quinces, apricots, nec- 
tarines, and grapes ; useful and ornamental shrubs 
and flowers, with hops and nuts, and all kinds of 
British field-produce : and where the rich alluvial 
valleys are cultivated, the labourer receives an am- 
ple harvest as the reward of his labour. The great 
difficulty in cultivation arises from the want of 
proper means ; there would be a certainty of ruin 
to any agricultural speculators in New Zealand, 
unless they were men of large capital, who could 
make at once a great outlay, and wait years for 
any return. Breaking up the land is a most labo- 
rious work, and requires much patience : as the 
fern-root is so closely matted together, it checks or 
clogs up the plough ; and the roots of some of the 
shrubs catch the share, and often break it short off, 
or so bend it as to render it altogether useless. 
The little experience we have had at the Waimate 
proves that none but the strongest breaking-up 
ploughs will answer for the virgin soil ; and that 
not less than six strong horses should be har- 
nessed to it, when first put into the earth. The 
vegetating soil, of which the Church Missionary 
