GENERAL CONDITIONS IN NEW ZEALAND 37 
tract of land visited, with reference to six questions :— 
1. Climatic conditions ; 
2. Conditions of surface; 
3. Geological origin ; 
4, Physical and chemical characters; 
5. Flora, native and introduced; 
6. Recognised economic adaptation. 
With such information relating to every district in the 
Dominion, a systematic report could be furnished which 
would give a full description and explanation of all 
important matters—such as meteorology, chemical 
contents of soil, vegetation, ete., relating to the agri- 
cultural value of the land, and from which could 
be readily inferred the special pursuit for which 
the particular lands were best suited. That such 
information would be of distinct economic value is 
unquestionable, and it is discussed here at such length 
because of its importance. The question opens up an 
interesting investigation of which only the outline has 
been given here, with the hope that what has been said 
will in some way add further to the already realised value 
of agro-geological surveys. 
3. Use of Fertilisers. 
It must not be concluded that because artificial 
manures are in use in many parts of the country that 
the virgin character of our soil is totally impaired by 
cropping. Nevertheless, owing to the system of cropping 
prevalent in the two closing decades of last century, we 
are faced with the fact that existing methods of culti- 
vation have brought us in many parts to a point of 
diminishing returns. This situation raises the whole 
question of artificial manures. We shall find that it 
is impossible to conclude with any exactitude what 
advantages can be realised from any one line of action, 
but the only method of discovering the adequacy of 
such, lies in an attempt to weigh the real net advantages 
of the different methods. 
As indicated in the previous chapter, two methods of 
applying fertilisers in production are possible. 
