HISTORY OF WHEAT PRODUCTION IN NEW ZEALAND 129 
land, and is no doubt a factor of some importance in the 
determination of recent tendencies in the agricultural 
and pastoral industries of the Dominion. 
9. Competition of Other Countries. 
Considerable influence has been exerted on the normal 
growth of wheat production in New Zealand by the 
extension of wheat production on an almost unprece- 
dented scale in other countries competing in the English 
market. During the ‘‘eighties’’ it was thought that New 
Zealand would have a permanent considerable export of 
wheat to England, but the hope has proved a vain one, 
and in some measure it is due to the action of other 
producing areas in pouring large supplies into the Home 
market. 
Thus from the following table it will be seen that 
there have been great increases in exports from various 
competing countries during the 30 years ending 1910, 
while the export from New Zealand has decreased. 
TABLE XX. 
AVERAGE ANNUAL NET EXPORTS OF EXPORTING 
COUNTRIES FOR THE LAST THREE DECADES. 
Average Net Exports in Million Bushels. 
1881-90 1891-00 1901-10 
CANADA ... 2 13 42 
ARGENTINA 4 37 68 
AUSTRALIA mee 6 6 28 
NEW ZEALAND ... 3 1 1 
From the above table it is at once obvious that the 
great increases in exports from Canada, Argentine, and 
Australia, contemporaneously with decreases in New 
Zealand, have affected the progress of wheat production 
here very considerably. The steady downward trend in 
English prices since the late ‘‘seventies’’ has been due 
to this great increase in supply, and it is in this reduced 
E 
