rdens. So we have, and what they produce fully bears out O'Gaygun's
opinion, as to this being essentially a fruit country. Of course our
spade industry gives us all the vegetables we require, when we lay
ourselves out for it. The worst of growing anything except roots is the
immense amount of weeding required; the weeds spring in no time; and
they are of such a savage sort in this fertile land.

We grow large quantities of melons--water-melons, musk-melons,
rock-melons, Spanish melons, pie-melons, and so on. Also, we grow
marrows and pumpkins in profusion, as the pigs are fed on them as well
as ourselves. These plants do not want much weeding. They may be grown,
too, among the maize. Kumera, or sweet potatoes, we grow a good deal of;
also many other vegetables, when we think we have time to plant them.

But in fruit we excel. There is a neighbour of ours who goes in for
tree-culture exclusively, and who has a nursery from which he supplies
Auckland. To him we owe a greater variety than we should otherwise have,
perhaps.

First, there are peaches. We have a great number of trees, as they will
grow from the stone. We eat them in quantities; pickling, preserving,
and drying them sometimes. But the principal use to which we put them is
to fatten our pigs. We have several kinds of peaches, coming on at
different seasons. The earliest kind are ripe about Christmas, and other
sorts keep on ripening to March or April. Then we have some few
apricots, nectarines, plums, cherries, loquats, etc., all yielding
bounteously.

The last are a very delicious fruit, ripening about October or November.
Figs we have till late into the winter, and they begin again early; we
are very fond of them. Oranges, lemons, and shaddocks grow fairly well,
and are fruiting all the year round. Apples do badly, being subject to
blight, though the young trees grow rapidly, and, if freely pruned, will
yield enormous crops. To obviate the blight we keep a constant
succession of young trees to replace those that are killed. Pears are
not subject to the blight, and do well. Grapes are very luxuriant; and,
no doubt, this will be a wine-country in the future. Already, some
people at Mangawai have made good wine, and have started a little trade
in it. Of strawberries, guavas, Cape gooseberries, and other small fruit
we have a little. The former fruit so plenteously here, that the leaves
are entirely hidden by the clusters of berries and blossom. The second
is