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’’ Farming. 
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 
