300 



Journal of AgriciiUiirc. 



[lO MaV, IQOy. 



MAIZE CULTIVATION. 



A G-ood Crop of "Eclipse." 



^fr. A. 'W P\)ristal of Hill Gro\e l-'aim, Bena, furnishes the follow- 

 ing particulars regarding his niai/e iilot, a photograph of which is repro- 

 duced : — 



" The seed used was ' Eclipse.' which T obtained last year from the 

 Department of Agriculture. It was sown on 31st October in drills 2 ft. 

 <5 in. apart, and the land was horse-hoed when croj) was about 1 fdnt high. 



No manure was used, and the weather has been very dry. Cobbing com- 

 menced about middle of January ; the cobs are now (22nd March) fully 

 12 inches long, and are jjerfect and numerous. Average height of plants 

 is 10 ft. 6 in. ■' 



Growing Crop on Battery Sand. 



In a recent letter to the Department, Mr. \V. C. Kidd of California 

 Gully mentioned that he had grown a si)lenditl crop of maize on battery 

 sand. \Vith a view to obtaining further particulars, Mr. George. Hejiderson, 

 Dairy Supervisor, was deputed bv the Chief Veterinary Officer, Mr. S. S. 

 Cameron, M.R.C.V.S., to inspect the plot. 



ISIr. Henderson writes as follows : — " I have to report having insi)ecied 

 the plot of maize of Mr. W. C. Kidd of California Gully on the irytfi 

 March. The land on which the maize is growing has been covered with 

 battery sand to a depth of 21 inches. Stable manure at the rate of 10 tons 

 per acre was spread over land and ploughed in to a depth of 9 inches. 

 The seed was sown broadcast and harrowed in after ploughing. A further 

 top-dressing of stal>le manure was then applied at the rate of 2 tons per 

 .acre. Four bushels of seed per acre were sown and consequently the 

 stalks are verv fine and inclined to lie down in places. Although not 

 sown until the 2nd January, the crop is a very heavv one, averaging 8 feet 

 in heighit. It is now <iut in flower and is being fed to two cows and three 



