212 WHEAT PRODUCTION IN NEW ZEALAND 
by the extremely intensive culture of many European 
countries. 
From the point of view of methods of cropping, the 
farmer must consider two questions :— 
(1) The system of crop rotation which he considers 
the most advisable, and, 
(2) The methods of cultivating the soil for each 
individual crop. 
In a discussion of these questions it would be in- 
advisable to consider each individually, because they 
co-operate in such a manner to produce the common 
result that it is difficult to trace the operation of either 
in detail with any exactitude. Thus the intention to 
grow wheat after a root crop vitally affects the manner 
of cultivating the soil for that crop. Again, the fact 
that a particular crop has been grown on a field will 
have a considerable effect on the method of tilling the 
soil for a certain other crop. It is, therefore, most 
advisable to study both questions at once; and for this 
purpose I have obtained from leading farmers a state- 
ment of the methods they are accustomed to follow in 
this matter, a typical example of which is given below. 
This may be considered representative of the general 
community of ‘‘high’’ farmers of which this particular 
farmer is probably one of the leaders. 
(c) A Rotation System. — The rotation extends over 
a period of seven years, during three of which the land 
is ‘‘lying’’ in grass. The rotation, together with the 
methods of cultivation for each crop, is as follows :— 
First Year.—The land is ‘‘broken up’’ from the grass 
by light or ‘‘skim’’ ploughing in the early summer 
(November), and left in this state until March, when it 
is disced twice and then harrowed. In April it is 
ploughed, this time the ploughing being deep, after 
which, according to the nature of the season, it is 
harrowed or disced. The wheat crop is then sown in 
