ic July, 1909.] Maize as Fodder. 425 



With reference to Longfellow, Mr. Evans makes a suggestion in favour 

 of making a small sowing of an early maturing variety at the beginning 

 of the season. His reason for this is that as it matures early it will give 

 n certain amount of more nutritious fodder some weeks before the later 

 varieties are ready to cut. This he considers mav often do away with 

 the necessity for cutting into a crop which is not matured, and is in. that 

 stage too sappy for good feeding." 



In Cranbourne Shire, Supervi.sor G. McKenzie reports: — 

 " (i) Mr. G. Croskell, Clyde, sowed Hickorv King and Sibley on 

 9th December. The farm variety here was known as the Sydney White, 

 but in both appearance and result it was identical with Hickory King. 

 The growth in both the Hickory King and Sydney White was from^ 

 7 to 9 feet high ; and the estimated yield was 25 tons per acre. The 

 Sibley, though not running over 8 feet in height, had a thicker stalk and 

 a heavier cob. When the samples were weighed on 23rd April, the Sibley 

 showed a 30-toii crop to the acre. 



(2) Mr. A. E. Brunt, Clyde, sowed Hickorv King, and Siblev, with 

 Victorian Flat Red as a farm crop. Their relative heights were — Hickory 

 King 8 feet to 10 feet; Sibley 8 feet; Flat Red 7 feet. Mr. Brunt con- 

 sidered the Hickory King to be the best for his ground and was we'l 

 satisfied with the yield. 



(3) On Mr. W. Brunt's farm at Cranbourne a similar sowing gave 

 like results, but on a shorter growth all round. 



(4) Mr. Hudson, of Koo-Wee-Rup, sowed Hickory King, Funk's 

 Yellow Dent, and Victorian Flat Red on 14th November. In this plot, on 

 2ist April, Hickory King was estimated to yield 25 tons per acre on an 

 average height of 8 feet. At this date both the other varieties had 

 matured, and were too dry in the stalk for a comparative weight test, and 

 were also of much shorter growth. 



(5) Mr. Edey, of Yannathan, sowed only two varieties. Hickory King 

 again showing better growth than Victorian Flat Red. 



(6) Mr. Glasheen, of Caldermeade, made two sowings of two different 

 samples of Hickory King and Sibley. There was no noticeable d fference 

 in the result of either sowing. Hickory King yielded approximately 20 

 tons per acre, and Sibley 13 tons. A broadcast sowing of Siblev was 

 also made here at the rate of i| bushels of .seed per acre, and resulted 

 in what is described as a complete failure. 



(7) A similar double sowing as in plot 6 was made by Mr. W. C. 

 Greaves, of Monomeith ; and, though of shorter growth all through, the 

 comparative results were similar. 



(8) Messrs. E. and A. Cameron, of Yannathan, made a similar sowing 

 to that in plot 4 (Mr. Hudson's) on 20th November, and a somewhat 

 similar result was obtained. Here, however. Hickory King yielded at 

 the rate of 28 tons per acre, averaging 8 feet high on 19th A])ril. Yellow 

 Dent and Flat Red were dry at about 6 feet high on same date. 



(9) Mr. R. Taylor, Lyndhurst, sowed Hickory King, Eclipse, and 

 Victorian P'lat Red on 5th November. In this instance there was little 

 difference in the growth of all three varieties, which were grown on soil 

 of a deep, sharp, sandy nature, the better growth being on the flats. 



This was rather an unusual crop on the whole. It was on a well 

 cultivated paddock, manured with the rather heavy (comparatively) 

 dressing of 3 cwt. of mixed superphosphate and bonedust to the acre. 

 It was scarified weekly for 8 weeks, and yet a very patchv crop was the 

 resuJt. Mr. Taylor stated that the Hickory King appeared to wither 

 earlier than the other two varieties. 



