Journal of Agr/cidttirc. [lo Aug., 1909. 



TRAFALGAR MAIZE CROP COMPETITION. 



J. M. B. Connor, Dairy Supervisor. 

 Report to the Secretary, Trafalgar Agricultural Society. 



The crops as a whole were very disai)pointing and certainly not worthy 

 of the district. The time has arrived when more attention will have to be 

 paid to the variety and selection of maize to be sown in the district. On 

 the majority of farms there was marked evidence of a general mixture of 

 seed and there were numerous instances of poor germination of seed. Mr. 

 Peter Stewart's crop was a striking illustration of the necessitv of testing 

 the seed before sowing. Out of twenty-five maize seeds sown in a test 

 plot bv Mr. Stewart only three seeds germinated, or equivalent to 12 per 

 cent, germination. 



The first plot inspected was that of Mr. James Brannigan, Trafalgar. 

 The soil was of a grey clayey nature. It was in grass the previous vear, 

 ploughed in winter, and sown the last week of November with Golden King 

 varietv drilled in two feet apart and at the rate of one bushel of seed 

 to the acre with a Planet Junr. machine. The cultivation consisted of one 

 scarifying and moulding between the rows. The seed had germinated 

 very unevenly ; height of crop averaged about 7 ft. 6 in. and weighed 

 about 18 tons 13 cwt. to the acre. The approximate yield was estimated 

 by weighing a uniform area of each crop judged. Cobs were well formed 

 and there was a fair amount of good quality succulent leaves. The crop 

 was not as free as ic might have been from thistles and hogweed, and 

 through this neglect and the bad germination of seed, points were lost. 

 Total points 75. 



The soil of Mr. Walter Giblett's plot, Moe Swamp, was of a black 

 peatv nature and was in grass last year. The seed, 50 lbs. per acre, wa^ 

 sown in drills 2 feet apart, and the resulting crop averaged about 7 ft. 

 3 in. in height and weighed about 15 tons 3 cwt. to the acre. The crop 

 was verv uneven in places and appeared to have been checked at some 

 period of its growth by frost. The land was clean and. well cultivated, 

 and the headlands were .sown with peas. There was a good bulk of leaves, 

 but not much substance in the stem. The plants had stooled and cobbed 

 well. Total points 69. 



Mr. Peter Stewart's plot was sown on 2nd October with the Flat Red 

 variety, drilled 3 feet apart and at the rate of 12 lbs. of seed to the 

 acre; average height of crop 6 ft. 6 in. ; weight about 12 tons 3 cwt. to 

 the acre. The seed had germinated verv liadly. The crop was thin, and 

 was almost ripe at time of judging. The leaves were dry and withered, 

 and the general appearance of the crop as a fodder crop was bad. It 

 was verv dirty with weeds of all kinds, and showed great neglect as 

 regards after-cultivation, and therefore lost heavily in points. Total 

 points 41. 



^Ir. James Grant's plot. Moe Swamp. — This croo was the highest of 

 those inspected and averaged about 9 feet. Seed sown was the Sydney 

 White Horse Tooth variety (25 lbs.). It had stooled freely, but the 

 growth was uneven in ])laces and the cobs half formed. Not as free from 

 weeds as sorrell and thistles as it should have been. Germination of seed 

 verv uneven in places. Total points 63. 



