COST OF PRODUCTION 223 



economic investigations, and one very often surmounted 

 by the use of an ingenious device. Unfortunately, the 

 scope for such a device is also lacking here, and wholly 

 reliable estimates can be made only when sufficient data 

 are forthcoming. The difficulty has been partly overcome 

 by the use of detailed information from certain " repre- 

 sentative " farms, but, as we shall see, even this presents 

 somewhat formidable difficulties. 



But an even greater disadvantage under which we 

 are labouring arises from the fact that the interests of 

 the New Zealand farmer in the vast majority of cases 

 lie in at least two directions. His policy must be to 

 distribute his time and labour in such a manner over 

 two occupations agricultural and pastoral pursuits 

 and sometimes even three that he obtains the maximum 

 profit on his total capital. These pursuits are so related 

 that it is a matter of great difficulty in fact, almost an 

 impossibility to discover a clear line of demarcation 

 between them. With farming accounts as they are we 

 must leave the problem unsolved. But even were we 

 able to discriminate in any individual year, such a dis- 

 crimination would be useless over a long period, for we 

 have already comprehended the nature of the influence 

 of mixed farming. The pursuit of agriculture fosters 

 the pastoral industries, while these in their turn influence 

 greatly the degree to which our land is suitable for wheat 

 production. For the permanent existence of one, the 

 other is almost a necessity, in a district such as the wheat 

 growing area of New Zealand.* Now, this consideration 

 further complicates the attempt to estimate the cost of 

 production of a wheat crop. In the first place, much 

 labour spent directly in producing wheat goes to augment 



*For an account of the connection between agricultural and 

 pastoral pursuits see the article in the Journal of the Canterbury 

 Agricultural and Pastoral Association (1914, page 10), by Mr. 

 Alexander, Director of the Canterbury Agricultural College. 



