290 WHEAT PRODUCTION IN NEW ZEALAND 
suitable data. No farmer with whom I came in con- 
tact was able to give me any record of yield for more 
than a very few years, while there was almost a total 
lack of rainfall statistics. The Statistics of New Zealand 
do not give sufficient information for an intensive investi- 
gation. The yield records refer to a whole Province, 
while rainfall is measured at a few widely scattered 
meteorological stations only. Until reliable information 
from many centres is forthcoming, a satisfactory solution 
is not obtainable. The hope for this lies in the future, 
but meanwhile we have made some suggestions.* 
I had also collected some information on temperature, 
and wind, in the wheat growing area, but unfortunately 
it was found impossible to get complete data, and as the 
official statistics were open to the same objection as those 
for rainfall, an attempt to ascertain correlation was 
abandoned. 
On all these questions relating to the association 
between general climatic condition’s and the wheat yield, 
much valuable information is being collected from year 
to year at the Canterbury Agricultural College. Some 
of this I have set out in graphic form elsewhere.t 
4. Some Suggestions. 
But although we are far from claiming for our investi- 
gation the merit of comprehensiveness, there emerge 
from our work, as far as it goes, certain definite con- 
clusions not without value in stimulating an industry, 
the prosperity of which largely conditions our national 
economic welfare and general well-being. 
In the first place, farmers must devote more attention 
to scientific practice. Intensive methods of cultivation 
with a systematic rotation of crops have proved most 
effective, and should convince the most conservative 
*See Chapter III, page 46. 
tSee page 44. 
