ao April, 1909.] Maize Groiving for Milk Production. 203 



plant improvement, the same principles and practicvs that have been so 

 long employed with such convincing results in the improvement of the 

 different breeds of animals must be followed. 



With maize there are three general methods of obtaining imprcjxement 

 of varieties, viz. : First, b\ importation of seed from some reputable 

 grower ; second, by careful selection of seed from one's own plot or 

 from a neighobur's; third, by careful selection and growing of seed in 

 an isolated field, say, about 500 yards distance from an\ other seed 

 plot so as to minimise cross fertilization. 



One of the reasons of the Chief Veterinary Officer, Mr. S. S. 

 Cameron, M.R.C.V.S., for getting into close touch with the farmer by 

 means of tests conducted by the latter on his own farm, under the super- 

 vision of the officers of the Stock and Dairy Supervision Branch, was to 

 secure definite facts regarding the varieties most suitable for fodder pur- 

 poses in particular districts. The main points considered during the ex- 

 periments were : — Bulk of growth, yield per acre, excellence of nutri- 

 tive quality in stalk and leaves, quickness of maturity at different periods 

 of growth, suitability for early or late sowing, drought-resisting capa- 

 bilities, and ultimate value as fodder of the different varieties sown, in 

 contrast with the Ninety Day variety or certain mixed varieties known 

 under the names of Flat Red and White maize. 



Business Methods Essential. 



In no department of profitable dairy farming is there more need for 

 absolutely reliable data than there is regarding the growing of suitable 

 fodder crops throughout the whole year. The time has long passed 

 when the farmer thought there were professions superior to his own. At 

 the present time, some of the most well-to-do men in the State deem it 

 an honour to be a farmer, or are working their large holdings on the 

 share system w^ith practical men. Thoughtful people are realizing that 

 agriculture is the foundation of all wealth, and that it must eventually 

 occupy its merited place at the top, recruiting from all classes of people 

 the most intelligent to follow the highest of all professions, farming. 

 Successful dairy farming must be conducted on business principles and 

 close attention paid to the details of the farm work. Farmers have to 

 use business principles in every day life throughout the year. If they 

 are not selling the produce grown on the farm, they are feeding stock to 

 make a profit, as the markets fluctuate to such an extent that the success- 

 ful farmer must be an all-round man, who is willing to pay close atten- 

 tion to this important branch of his farm, .so as to always have an 

 abundance of cheap and profitable feed on hand all the vear round for 

 his stock. The general practical lesson to be drawn from a study of the 

 comparative values of food, is that many foods can be substituted for 

 each other without altering the value of the whole diet. A farmer should 

 be able to introduce economy into his feeding by noting the markets, and 

 making use of those foods which are cheapest and bv alwavs growing 

 numerous fodder and root crops in rotation. 



Feeding for Profit. 



The food of animals has duties to perform which are not demanded 



of the food of plants. In plants, the food merely provides the material 



for building up the vegetable tissues. In the animal, besides building 



up the body tissues, the food has to furnish the means of producing heat 



- and doing mechanical work. Food must be provided for all these' factors 



