28 WHEAT PRODUCTION IN NEW ZEALAND 



(d) Harvesting. Here, again, it is of the utmost 

 importance that the farmer pay attention to the methods 

 he employs, and the time at which he performs the 

 different operations. Harvesting operations commence 

 in New Zealand from January onwards, and many con- 

 siderations influence methods adopted. For instance, the 

 prevalence of hot winds in Canterbury, very often assum- 

 ing the character of gales, necessitates a somewhat prema- 

 ture cutting, which places the farmer in rather a pre- 

 carious situation should a heavy fall of rain occur. The 

 cheapest method of harvesting is the use of the combined 

 harvester and thresher, a large ungainly machine, drawn 

 by 18 horses, and requiring 5 men to work it. It possesses 

 the advantage of cutting and threshing all in one opera- 

 tion, and consequently can be used only where the climate 

 permits the wheat to become very ripe without fear of 

 losing it by shelling out on the ground. It is commonly 

 employed in the Western United States and Australia. 



Harvesting operations in New Zealand are somewhat 

 more expensive than elsewhere, as we shall see when 

 considering the cost of production. It will suffice here 

 to point out the method used. English methods pre- 

 dominate, the crop being cut by a reaper and binder 

 and then stooked. After two or three weeks it may be 

 stacked and then threshed, but very often ''threshing 

 out of stook," where the drays cart it straight to the 

 mill, is the method used. Given favourable weather, the 

 method is very efficient in producing good quality, but 

 not infrequently autumnal rains prolong the period of 

 harvesting so long as to curtail profits very considerably. 



(e) Marketing. In Chapter I. we discussed the 

 question of marketing. There remains little further to 

 say on the subject save again to stress the important 

 place which marketing holds in the efficient production 

 of wheat. The most suitable method for large scale 

 production is the use of elevators, but in a country 

 like New Zealand where comparatively small quantities 

 are produced, their use is impracticable, and all wheat 



