COST OF PRODUCTION 223 
economic investigations, and one very often surmounted 
by the use of an ingenious device. Unfortunately, the 
scope for such a device is also lacking here, and wholly 
reliable estimates can be made only when sufficient data 
are forthcoming. The difficulty has been partly overcome 
by the use of detailed information from certain ‘‘repre- 
sentative’’ farms, but, as we shall see, even this presents 
somewhat formidable difficulties. 
But an even greater disadvantage under which we 
are labouring arises from the fact that the interests of 
the New Zealand farmer in the vast majority of cases 
lie in at least two directions. His policy must be to 
distribute his time and labour in such a manner over 
two occupations—agricultural and pastoral pursuits— 
and sometimes even three—that he obtains the maximum 
profit on his total capital. These pursuits are so related 
that it is a matter of great difficulty—im fact, almost an 
impossibility—to discover a clear line of demarcation 
between them. With farming accounts as they are we 
must leave the problem unsolved. But even were we 
able to discriminate in any individual year, such a dis- 
crimination would be useless over a long period, for we 
have already comprehended the nature of the influence 
of mixed farming. The pursuit of agriculture fosters 
the pastoral industries, while these in their turn influence 
greatly the degree to which our land is suitable for wheat 
production. For the permanent existence of one, the 
other is almost a necessity, in a district such as the wheat 
growing area of New Zealand.* Now, this consideration 
further complicates the attempt to estimate the cost of 
production of a wheat crop. In the first place, much 
labour spent directly in producing wheat goes to augment 
*For an account of the connection between agricultural and 
pastoral pursuits see the article in the Journal of the Canterbury 
Agricultural and Pastoral Association (1914, page 10), by Mr. 
Alexander, Director of the Canterbury Agricultural College. 
