128 WHEAT PRODUCTION IN NEW ZEALAND 



respectively, the values being 2,338,576 and 2,564,125. 

 For the year 1916 the total value of these exports was 

 6,146,603. But how far this industry is a competitor 

 with wheat growing for the land, and how far each is 

 encouraged by the other is a difficult matter to estimate. 



In the first place much land, on which cultivation, if 

 not impracticable, is extremely difficult, is devoted to 

 pasture for stock. This is especially the case in the 

 North Island, though there is no doubt that much land 

 useful for wheat growing is also used for dairying. It 

 is often convenient for a farmer to devote some attention 

 to dairying in co-ordination with agricultural pursuits. 

 Using a separator on a farm he can extract the cream 

 himself and thus any inconvenience caused by carrying 

 milk to a local creamery every morning is obviated, for 

 one or two trips in the week to the local railway station 

 with his cream is all that is necessary. So far dairying 

 and wheat growing go hand in hand, but there are many 

 points at which their paths diverge. Dairying has 

 proved to be a highly remunerative pursuit, and much 

 land now being opened up for settlement is being devoted 

 to this industry, and progress is very rapid. In so far 

 as land suitable for cereal growing is being absorbed for 

 use as pasture for stock, thus far wheat production is 

 being sacrificed to dairying. 



On the whole, much less risk is attached to dairying 

 than accompanies wheat growing. It is only the broad 

 climatic changes which exert an influence on the former, 

 while the latter is dependent in great measure on rela- 

 tively small changes in climate. Further, much more 

 manual labour and organising ability is necessary for 

 growing wheat than for dairying. 



In a word, wheat growing possesses fewer relative 

 advantages than dairying, and as measured by quantities 

 exported recently, the latter pursuit is proving a very 

 serious competitor with the former for the use of the 



