;no 



Agricultural Journal of Victoria. 



Maize for Fodder. 



A lai'iJ-e nunii)er of i-xperimeiital manure fields in maize for fodder 

 purposes Avere put down last' year, and the tests were of rather an 

 elaborate kind. There were 18 plots in each field, each of them the 

 one-twc»ntieth of an acre in area. Although circulars Avere sent to 

 each of the growers, intimatiug the intention of an oihcer to visit 

 each fai"m, and supervise the cutting and weighing of the plots, tlie 

 great majority of tlie groAvers selfishly cut the crops from day to day 

 for fodder piu'poses Avithoiit keeping records of weights. In other 

 cases, objections Avere raised upon the arrival of the officer to cutting 

 such a large area at one time. In all future experiments of this kind 

 the co-()])erating farmer Avill l)e bound down to conditions, and these 

 will be insisted ujxni. Tlie Table C, on page oil, gives the results 

 from the more important ])]()ts of five such fields. 



Taking tlie average i-esults of the five fields, the ert'ect of both 

 j)hosphoric acid and nitrogen ajjpears most pronounced. A com- 

 ])arison of th(^ increased yields following the use of a phosphatic and 

 nitrogenous manure will offer evidence of the operatiAe action of 

 each. 



Increased yields resulting from — 



cwt. .SuperphospliMte . 2"0-j tons. 

 ^^ cwt. Superphospliate, ") i l-' ^ 



2 cwt. Nitrate of Soda j '^' ^'^ ^'"'"• 



The effective action of nitrogen is again confirmed by the larger 

 results folloAving a larger application of this ingredient as a])])arent 

 in the folloAving figures : — 



Increased yield resulting from — 



:') cwt. Superphosphate, "1^ 



1 cwt. Xitrate of Soda j 



'•} cwt. Superphosphate, "^ 



2 cwt. Nitrate of Soda ) 



2-82 tons. 



4-48 tons. 



That the figures of the general average in as far as they offer 

 indications of the effect of a nitrogenous manure are in no AA'ay 

 misleading, is brought out by a comparison of the returns on plots 

 12, 10 and 9 of the individual fields. 



Increased am elds resultine" from — 



Taking the figures of the general average, it would appear that 

 potash had had no ett'ect as a manure. Since the increased yield on 



