GENERAL CONDITIONS IN NEW ZEALAND 37 



tract of land visited, with reference to six questions: 



1. Climatic conditions; 



2. Conditions of surface; 



3. Geological origin; 



4. Physical and chemical characters; 



5. Flora, native and introduced; 



6. Recognised economic adaptation. 



With such information relating to every district in the 

 Dominion, a systematic report could be furnished which 

 would give a full description and explanation of all 

 important matters such as meteorology, chemical 

 contents of soil, vegetation, etc., relating to the agri- 

 cultural value of the land, and from which could 

 be readily inferred the special pursuit for which 

 the particular lands were best suited. That such 

 information would be of distinct economic value is 

 unquestionable, and it is discussed here at such length 

 because of its importance. The question opens up an 

 interesting investigation of which only the outline has 

 been given here, with the hope that what has been said 

 will in some way add further to the already realised value 

 of agro-geological surveys. 



3. Use of Fertilisers. 



It must not be concluded that because artificial 

 manures are in use in many parts of the country that 

 the virgin character of our soil is totally impaired by 

 cropping. Nevertheless, owing to the system of cropping 

 prevalent in the two closing decades of last century, we 

 are faced with the fact that existing methods of culti- 

 vation have brought us in many parts to a point of 

 diminishing returns. This situation raises the whole 

 question of artificial manures. We shall find that it 

 is impossible to conclude with any exactitude what 

 advantages can be realised from any one line of action, 

 but the only method of discovering the adequacy of 

 such, lies in an attempt to weigh the real net advantages 

 of the different methods. 



As indicated in the previous chapter, two methods of 

 applying fertilisers in production are possible. 



