HISTORY OF WHEAT PRODUCTION IN NEW ZEALAND 107 



pastoral pursuits. It is unnecessary to dwell on the 

 important progress made in the sheep freezing industry, 

 but it must be noted that there is a vital connection 

 between this industry and the wheat industry ; also that 

 it was the former that enabled us to withstand the 

 forces of such a severe depression, and is very largely 

 responsible for our present prosperity. Thus in the 

 middle nineties when the frozen meat industry was well 

 established the second great period in wheat production 

 in New Zealand ended. Expansion had ceased and 

 decline had set in. 



4. The Rise of ''High" Fanning. 



The year 1895 may be considered as the commencement 

 of the last well defined period in the organisation of 

 wheat production in New Zealand, and indeed of the 

 rural industries generally. The years 1890-9 marked a 

 transition from what may be called " predatory" culti- 

 vation (an American term used in connection with that 

 form of cultivation which exploits the soil) to the more 

 enlightened "high" farming characteristic of New 

 Zealand agriculture at present. Wheat production 

 from 1875-98 on a large scale was carried on by cropping 

 merely and not by farming. This contention is well 

 supported by the fact that the general trend of the 

 average yield per acre from 1880-90 was downwards, 

 while from 1890-1910 it rose as much as 10 bushels. 

 But the difficulties of wheat production on a large 

 scale were great. The labour problem is perhaps the 

 most important. Two obstacles present themselves at 

 once. There is the difficulty of obtaining casual labour, 

 and the problems of finding employment for those 

 engaged between sowing and reaping, and also at times 

 when the weather forbids cultivating or harvesting 

 operations. In the management of the estate there arises 

 an obstacle of no mean importance, while production 



