GENERAL CONDITIONS IN NEW ZEALAND 63 



of the year, and at these times it is necessary for the 

 farmer to increase his hands for a period. Thus in the 

 winter and early spring the work of preparing the soil 

 and sowing the seed requires many more farm labourers 

 than are necessary during the summer. Then again at 

 harvesting there is a keen demand for farm labour, for 

 the satisfaction of which a large number of casual work- 

 ers is necessary. But of recent years all the industries 

 of New Zealand which employ such casual labour are in 

 full operation at this period of the year. Thus freezing 

 works are working up to their maximum efficiency as are 

 consequently the transportation industries, which absorb 

 much casual labour. The supply of such seasonal labour, 

 as is necessary in the case of the wheat industry, is 

 always a matter of difficulty, but in New Zealand this 

 difficulty is exaggerated by the absorption of much casual 

 labour by other more or less " seasonal" industries. 



9. Government Encouragement.* 



Directly and indirectly the State has assisted agriculture 

 in New Zealand. The land legislation of the Dominion 

 has undoubtedly contributed largely to the development 

 of mixed farming, which is probably the most potent 

 factor tending to advancement in the rural industries 

 and to progress generally. The wheat industry in partic- 

 ular has received a measure of encouragement from the 

 Government. 



(a) Experimental Farms. In the first place not a 

 little advantage accrues from the growth of experimental 

 farms and agricultural colleges, some of which are under 

 the direct supervision of the Government, while others 

 receive distinct advantages from the State though not 

 under direct State control. There are six experimental 

 farms in the Dominion, which carry out experiments and 



*See Chapter X. 



