114 WHEAT PRODUCTION IN NEW ZEALAND 



exploitation of the resources of a country in the early 

 stages of its industrial development is common indeed; 

 it marks a certain stage in the industrial history of every 

 new country. "When new land is first taken into culti- 

 vation, the necessity of restoration is not felt. The 

 store of elements of fertility is then large and may 

 maintain itself, notwithstanding continuous drains for 

 years and even for a generation. If there is plenty of 

 new land another parcel can be taken under cultivation 

 when signs of exhaustion appear in that first used, and 

 so on, as long as new land is available. This is what 

 the Germans call 'Raub-bau' predatory cultivation."* 

 This predatory cultivation was the outstanding feature 

 of the organisation of wheat production during the 

 ' ' eighties. ' ' The land was not ' ' farmed " as we understand 

 the word in these days, but was "cropped" ruthlessly 

 with little or no thought for the future of agriculture 

 in the country. The system of contracting which was 

 in operation to a large extent encouraged this, for an 

 individual who leased land for short periods was not 

 greatly concerned with the future productivity of that 

 land. The operation of these forces then the system of 

 large estates, extensive farming, and successive cropping, 

 brought about the result which was inevitable in such 

 circumstances. The natural fertility of the soil was 

 quickly diminished, and the low returns from wheat 

 growing began to attract attention. At the same time, as 

 will be shown in the next chapter, wheat prices had fallen 

 greatly, and by the early "nineties" it was evident that 

 greater attention to the culture of the soil was necessary 

 if the industry was to be continued successfully. The 

 decade 1890-9 is, then, a transition period in which the 

 breaking up of the large estates introduced a change 

 from extensive to intensive farming, while the system 

 of predatory cultivation was gradually superseded by 

 the more enlightened practice of "high farming" now 



*Taussic, "Principles of Economics/' Vol. II., page 66. 



