6i4 Journal of Agriculture. [lo Oct., 1908. 



Dun variety stooled well, grew fast while the ground was rr.oist, but at 

 the first signs of dryness in the soil it went to head, reaching 2^ height 

 of 20 inches. It headed well with a good plump grain, and was expected 

 to go 7 to 8 bags. 



Maize Experiments at Mr. T. Baker's Farm. 



The thirty acres at Mr. T. Baker's farm on which maize was sown,, 

 was originally a rather poor, light, grey loam 6 to 8 inches deep, over- 

 lying a clay subsoil. Frequent working with dressings of farmyard 

 manure between the crops has greatly improved both its appearance and', 

 friability. It has been in continuous cultivation for the past 20 years. 

 When the previous crop, mixed sowing of Dun peas and Tick beans, 

 which yielded an average of 9 tons 14 cwt. of green fodder per acre 

 from the whole area, was cut on the last week in September, 1907, the 

 ground was ploughed, disc harrowed, and cross harrowed. Fourteen 

 acres were sown with maize in drills 2 ft. 6 in. apart, by a Alusgrove 

 seed drill, closing up three of each four hoes; 28 lbs. of seed to the acre 

 were sown, and i cwt. of manure applied. The remaining 16 acres 

 were again ploughed, and the manuring and sowing of each section done 

 by hand, and covered with a light harrowing. 



The seed was a very good sample of the ordinary Flat Red maize,, 

 purchased in Melbourne, the manure being a special maize mixture. 

 The distance between the rows started at 2 feet, and in each plot, an 

 increase of 6 inches was made up to 5 feet. The scarifier was kept going 

 between the rows, and, notwithstanding a long period of very dry and 

 windy weather, broken only by a few light showers, the maize kept 

 steadily growing. Cutting was commenced on 7th January, and a record 

 kept of the number and weight of loads per acre from the various plots. 

 The return from the area which was drilled 2 feet apart, was the liglitest 

 of all, averaging 5 tons ; the 2 ft. 6 in. paddock gave an average <ii 

 5 tons 19 cwt. per acre; the 3 ft. area yielded 7 tons 4 cwt. per acre; 

 the 3 ft. 6 in. area returned 8 tons per acre; that 4 ft. 6 in. apart gave- 

 a return of 9 tons 15 cwt. per acre; whilst the 5 feet sowing fell back 

 to 9 tons 4 cwt. per acre. This latter would suggest that the full. 

 necessary width for all practical purposes was reached in the drilling 

 at 4 ft. 6 in. A light scarifier was put over the whole of the area 

 sown as soon as the maize showed up sufficiently to mark the drills, and 

 svas kept going as long as practicable. In the narrow drills this, of 

 course, meant the suspension of operations much sooner than in those 

 sown wider. The extra; working which was given these wider drills 

 resulted in a much more robust growth. This would show that what is 

 often looked upon as a loss of ground resulting from sowing a wide 

 drill, is more than counterbalanced by the heavier return obtained. There 

 is a dual benefit in this. As cattle will leave the heavier portion when 

 maize is fed to them in the stalk, many farmers have made the mistake 

 of striving for a fine growth in their crops ; Ijut the strong well-grown 

 maize stalk has a higher feeding value than the same weight of a spindly 

 growth. To use up this strong stalk necessitates chaffing ; here again 

 an absolute benefit and saving over the stalk feeding method is secured 

 ■IS when the chaffed fodder is used in a manger or feed box nothing is 

 wasted, and the labour of chaffing is fully repaid. In addition, when 

 the maize is chaffed other feed stuffs such as bran, crushed peas, brewers' 

 grains, oilcakes, or any of the many concentrated foods popular among 



