lo June, 1909.] Kilmorc Maize Crop Competition. 385 



from the ground unchecked in dry weather, and the weeds get every 

 chance to make growth and spread freely. In a dry season such broad- 

 cast sowing means disaster to any maize plot that cannot be irrigated, and 

 it was the cause of the withdrawal of six of the nine entrants in this 

 competition. The three remaining competitors were Messrs. Budd Bros., 

 Wallan; Mr. J. J. Ryan, Kilmore; and Mr. W. Richards, High Camp 

 Plain, and the result of the judging placed them in the order in which 

 they are named. 



The first crop inspected was that of Messrs. Budd Bros. This 

 was sown 3 feet apart, using two hoes only of the farm drill. Flat Red 

 seed was u.sed at the rate of 281bs. per acre, and a mixed manure, con- 

 sisting of I cw^t. sujDerphosphate and | cwt. of sulphate of ammonia per 

 acre, was drilled in at the same time. The soil is of a red, friable, loamy 

 nature. It was kept well-worked and free from weeds. The growth 

 was very good indeed. The plants had attained an average height of 

 7 feet^ and, notwithstanding the dry weather, the crop was still doing well 

 at time of inspection, and would probably yield 12 tons per acre. This 

 yield on a rainfall of 150 points during January speaks well for the culti- 

 vation methods of the owners. 



The next paddock was that of Mr. J. J. Ryan, who is Secretary of 

 the Agricultural Society. This was grey, loamy ground, which has been 

 continuouslv cropped for the past 40 years. It was also drill-sown, 

 but hardly enough space was left between the rows for proper working — 

 they were only 2 feet 8 inches apart. In this case, also, too much seed 

 was used, it being sown at the rate of nearly a bushel to the acre. The 

 combined effect of overcrowding the plants, and the absence of effectual 

 inter-cultivation, was shown by this crop during the dry weather, for it 

 stopped grow'ing in leaf and stalk and began to mature, any height 

 made afterwards being mainly due to its flowering. It reached an average 

 height of 5 feet 6 inches, and would probably yield not more than 8 tons 

 per acre. The Flat Red variety of maize was also sown. The accom- 

 panying photographs were taken on ]\lr. Ryan's farm. 



The other competitor was Mr. W. Richards, High Camp Plain, whose 

 crop was sown on newly-broken-up swamp land. The soil, very dark 

 grev, sandy loam, was densely packed with a network of marsh weeds 

 and roots which made ploughing very difficult and also materially 

 interfered wdth the inter-cultivation. This paddock was sown with the 

 Flat Red variety also, in drills 2 feet 6 inches apart only; the drills 

 were not laid straight and these factors prevented any further cultivation, 

 consequently marsh weeds choked the crop. One half-acre, which was 

 sown in drills 3 feet apart and well inter-cultivated, reached a height 

 of 8 feet. It was looking ^•ery fresh and green and promised a heavy 

 yield, probably 20 tons per acre, but the balance of the 3 acres sown 

 would be very much below that ; the whole would probably average not 

 more than 6 tons per acre. 



On the winning farm, that of Messrs. Budd Bros., a small experi- 

 mental plot of .seed maize was sown to test the growth of different 

 varieties for fodder purposes. Eight varieties were sown viz. : — Pride of 

 the North; Solomon's Pride; Sibley; Funk's Yellow Dent ; Hickory King; 

 White Horse Tooth ; Early Learning ; and a small-grained South American 

 maize, the name of which was not obtainable. The quality of this last 

 variety was apparently much fancied by the rabbits, for they had destroyed 

 almost every stalk of it. Hickory King, a large, flat, white-grained 



