194 Journal of Agriculture. [lo April, 1909. 



The purpose of this article is primarily to explain the steps which 

 have been taken bv the Field Brani'h to prosecute inquiries into the 

 maize-growing industry, and, secondly, to make public the field observa- 

 tions which have been exhaustively collected during the last season for 

 the purpose of establishing guiding facts. We start with the knowledge 

 that maize is divided into two families — dent and flint ; the grain of the 

 former, when pure, are characterized bv a crease in the crown of the grain 

 whereas the flint varieties have a smooth rounded surface. We have 

 numerous examples of both in Victoria and it may enable some persons 

 to identify the two families by describing Flat Red as a " Dent " varietv 

 and Ninety Day as a "Flint." Arrangements last year were entered 

 into with Messrs. James Fisher (Orbost) and James McEwan (Bruthen), 

 both experienced maize-growers, to permit the establishment of " stud" 

 plots upon their properties. Field officers had in the year previously 

 gone carefully through the maize-growers' fields and had selected a number 

 of tvpical cobs of some twenty varieties, which provided the seed for the 



r 



STUD MAlZt: PLOi Ai BKUriiEN. 



plots. Especial care was given to the preparation of the land by Messrs. 

 Fisher and McEwan, who also lent valuable assistance in the planting 

 of the seed at regular intervals of 3 feet in the row^s and between the 

 drills. A specified number of seeds of each varietv were planted which 

 enables us to learn something of the axerage germinative ability. During 

 the summer the plots were kept well tilled so that the plants had every 

 chance of success. 



Cross Fertilization of Varieties. 

 B\ no means the least important of the objects of the stud plots 

 was the carrying out of a number of cross pollinations between varieties. 

 The varieties to be crossed were decided uix)n before the plots were sown, 

 so that everv facilitv was afforded to make a large number of crosses at 

 Bruthen and Orbost. .An experienced tidd nflfirpr, suppli<'d with a number 

 of muslin bags. w;is sent to each place in the firsi; werk in January. 

 The cobs to be crossed were enveloped in these bags in order to minimize 

 foreign pollination. Only a few of the most robust and well developed 



