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holdings have survived, or have been successfully established, 

 some local condition exists whether of a rich or easily worked 

 soil, easy accessibility to good markets, opportunities for sup- 

 plementary employment or other like advantage which seems, 

 under present circumstances, essential to their maintenance. 



Casual reference has previously been made to the effect which Conclusion 

 the extension of fruit-growing has had on the demand for 

 labour, and in concluding this report I would direct attention to 

 the summaries of replies to the fifth question' in the Board's 

 circular of enquiry (pp. 100-112). The general tenour of the 

 replies on other points is not optimistic, and the picture drawn 

 of the state of agriculture is, on the whole, somewhat gloomy. 

 If encouragement for the future is to found anywhere, I am 

 inclined to think that it is in the evidence furnished of the 

 extent to which farmers have adapted themselves to the times 

 by taking up the cultivation of fruit and vegetables, the rearing 

 of poultry, and other industries of a so-called subsidiary 

 character. The extension of dairy-farming, by which the home 

 producers have met the ever-increasing requirements for milk, 

 is perhaps the most striking example of their enterprise, but not 

 only for the sake of retaining labour on the land, but also in 

 the interests of agriculture generally, the evidence of the atten- 

 tion given to what used to be thought " small things " may 

 be regarded as one of the hopeful facts which the present 

 enquiry has elicited. 



I have the honour to be, Sir, 



Your obedient Servant, 



E. H. HEW. 



September 10, 1906. 



