Oct. 2, 1920.] Agricultural Gazette of N.S.W. 701 



Cuzco Maize. 



H. WENHOLZ, B.Sc. (Agr.), Inspector of Agriculture. 



Not all varieties of maize introduced into the State for trial prove successful, 

 and, with the yearly introduction of new varieties from different parts of 

 the worla, it is inevitable that some should be found which do not suit any 

 of our conditions, and which, after trial, have to be discarded. A variety 

 known as Cuzco, seed of which was obtained fi'om Chili by Mr. J. M. Paxton, 

 of the Sydney Chamber of Commerce, in 1918, has to suffer this fate. 



This maize belongs to the soft, or flour corn family, and similar types are 

 used by the natives of South America and South Africa for human food. 

 They are popular with these people on account of the ease of grinding, owing 

 to the entire absence of horny endosperm. A similar type (Brazilian flour 

 corn), but with much smaller grain, is grown a little in some localities in 

 Queensland, where it is ground into calf meal. Though of some use in this 

 way its feeding value is low, as it consists most largely of carbohydrates 

 (starch) and contains but little protein. The soft nature of the grain renders 

 it easily susceptible to damage by weevil and grain moth, and the grain: 

 does not keep well in warm climates. On account of the very late maturity 

 of Cuzco a long growing season is required for it, and it is probably only on 

 our North Coast that it would have a chance of maturing. The trouble 

 experienced there with weevil, however, militates to a large extent against 

 its success in that district. This maize is the giant of the maize family^ 

 having grains twice as large as a good sample of Hickory King. 



The experience with Cuzco maize in this State has been as follows : — 

 At Casino, in 1918, it was sown in December, with several other varieties 

 for comparison, and from one-tenth acre plot only a few pounds of grain 

 were produced, most of which moulded on the cob as the result of late 

 autumn rains. None of the ears measured more than 2 or 3 inches in 

 length, and even then many had no grain at all, while on others only a 

 sprinkling of grain set after fertilisation. The leaves were still green and 

 the grain quite soft at the end of May — after six months' growth. It was 

 observed that on most plants the silks did not develop until six weeks after 

 the tassels appeared, a fact which would be responsible for the poor setting 

 of grain. There was also a bad tendency to the formation of two or three 

 cobs at a single node, which in any variety generally results in a bunch of 

 barren ears. The stalks attained a height of 8 feet, and the variety ceuld 

 not compare with any others in the test, either for grain or fodder. 



Mr. J. M. Pitt, Inspector of Agriculture on the lower North Coast, 

 reported that in a trial of Cuzco on the Manning River the germination after 

 heavy rain did not exceed 10 per cent. ^ Though the growth attained a 

 height of 10 feet the stalks were still green after six months, and the delay 



