556 



Journal of Agriculture. 



[lo Sept., 1908. 



plough, and following in the furrow of an ordinary single plough, tearing 

 up the soil as deep as possible. There are several subsoiling attachments 

 for ploughs on the market. 



The illustration on page 555 shows the necessity for deep tillage for 

 maize, the visible roots in some cases penetrating to a depth of four feet. 



The land should be lightly ploughed and harrowed about the end of 

 August, and got in readiness for spring planting by opening up furrows 

 or " lists " as they are termed in America, about 2 feet 6 inches to 3 feet 

 apart, 3 to 4 inches deep, and 4 to 6 inches wade at bottom. They should 

 run east and west across the paddock, the object of this being to 

 avoid late frosts. The seeds being planted with a drill in the bottom of 

 the lists 2 inches deep, the frosts, coming as they do from the norths 

 will not check the plants, even if 2 or 3 inches high, on account of being 

 protected in the furrow, and consequently below the surface of the ground. 



c 



FRONT 



HOME MADE LISTER 



A. Piece of sawn timber, 4 in. x 4 in. x 9 ft. 6 in. 



B. " Lister," made out of piece 3 in. x 3 in. x 10 in., let in \ in. to A, with two pieces 



of red gum board 6 in. x i in. x gin., and brought to a point (see section of B) 

 and securely screwed and let in to lo-in. piece, which should be bevelled 

 slightly to allow of tight fit. D is also let iiito A \ in. with i in. out of D, 

 and fastened by means of a cogging joint, and A, B and D Hxed with y-iii. 1)olt 

 in fitting handles D. They should have a slope backward towards the operator 

 of about 25 deg. to avoid operator kicking bar A while at work. 



C is a marker fixed to A by bolt. 



F is piece of chain for hauling the machine fixed by means of a staple or " eyed " bolt 

 under or at bottom of A. 



Wheels, — Old ])lougli wheels can l)e used. 



The lists, can be made with a plough, potato-hiller, or moulder, or 

 better still, with an implement like the one shown on this page. This 

 machine can be made by any handy man on the farm. As soon as the 

 maize is up 2 or 3 inches above bottom of lists, the scuffler or horse 

 hoe should be kept going through the drills about once a fortnight. This 

 hoeing will graduallv fill in the earth round the young plant, until at 

 maturity of the maize the list has disappeared and the ground is level. 



The advantages of listing over surface planting in the dry parts of 

 the State are many — firstlv, conservation of moisture around the plant; 



