GENERAL CONDITIONS IN NEW ZEALAND 33 



in common with most graphs but outstanding in this 

 one, in that it shows at a glance the position which could 

 have been obtained from two columns only after a close 

 scrutiny and then but in part. The greatest area in 

 production outside of Canterbury and Otago was about 

 45,000 acres in 1899, while in many later years the 

 difference is negligible, an average of about 5 per cent, 

 only of the total area not being situated in these two 

 provinces since 1900. 



But a precaution must be observed in interpreting the 

 result as it is depicted by the graph, for it tends to 

 exaggerate the position. If we observe the lines only 

 the perpendicular distance between them is very small. 

 But this does not measure the real result; for this we 

 have to look to the vertical distance between the peaks 

 of each graph. Were this precaution not observed, it 

 would appear that the percentage area in production 

 outside of Canterbury and Otago is less than half of 

 what it really is. 



Having now given reasons for choosing a particular 

 area for investigation, we can now proceed with a con- 

 sideration of conditions in detail as they are found 

 there. 



2. Soils. 



(a) Soil Qualifications. Mr. B. C. Aston, Agricultural 

 Chemist to the New Zealand Government, after a com- 

 prehensive analysis of New Zealand soils, concludes that 

 "New Zealand is a country remarkable for containing 

 within a comparatively small land area such a number 

 of different types of soils that a Continent would require 

 to be ransacked to discover elsewhere a similar variety. ' J 

 The district of Central Otago contains the richest soils 

 of the Dominion, but lack of water prevents these being 

 fully utilised. The fertile Canterbury Plains supply 

 excellent examples of gravel fans covered with soils of 

 varying depths and fineness. This area together with 

 North Otago comprises the greater part of the wheat 

 producing area of New Zealand, and furnishes an 

 excellent proof of the fact that wheat has a wide range 



