The agricultural geography of South Canterbury

Abstract

The term ‘agriculture’ has been used by Whittlesey to apply to both plant and animal husbandry. Although the members of the agricultural community of South Canterbury recognise ‘agriculture’ as meaning only arable farming, Whittlesey’s definition has been followed in this thesis, the aim of which is to describe the agriculture of South Canterbury as it is today, with emphasis upon its areal character and its contribution to the pattern of South Canterbury’s landscape.

It has been stated by Whittlesey that the regional pattern of agriculture is basically determined by two concurrent forces. “One of these is the combination of environmental conditions which sets the limits of range for any crop or domestic animal and provides, within these limits, optimum habitats. (…) The other force is the combination of human circumstance which applies the habitat possibilities of plants and animals to human needs.” […]

The extent to which environmental conditions and human circumstance determine the agriculture of a region cannot be ascertained, but both of these features may be satisfactorily considered as the background to the portrayal of this agriculture. Physiography, climate and soil have been discussed as part of' this background for South Canterbury’s agriculture. The historical development of agriculture has been discussed as another part, more directly of the ‘human circumstance’. There follows a systematic contemporary account of crops and livestock, with reference to their areal distribution, together with mention of recent developments. This brings the description to the main objective of this study, namely, the division of South Canterbury into agricultural regions, each being portrayed in terms of its agricultural practice and the resultant landscape. [extract from Introduction]