39 



of the cob yielded better than from the top, but those from the 

 butt-end gave the largest crop per acre except in 1897. Experi- 

 ments made with other manures at an equal money value of 30,' 

 per acre compared with no manure are of value where the brands 

 are better known than in South Australia. In ten instances there 

 was a loss, in 21 a gain of from 16/6 to 4/0/3 per acre. All the 

 Colonial Sugar Company's different compounds gave a profit, No. 4 

 being the best, with a profit of 2/16/3, the yield being 63 bushels 

 20 lb., against the unmanured acre with 28 bushels 50 Ib. In 

 1897 Nos. 6 and 7 proved to be still better than No. 4. The varieties 

 of white maize gave very good yields, both in cobs and leaf, when 

 manured with 490 lb. per acre of bonedust, blood manure, an 3 

 kainit mixed in equal quantities. Thomas phosphate applied singly 

 (costing 30/) yielded 3 tons 11 cwt. 94 lb. cut for the silo pits. A 

 mixture of 2 cwt. blood manure, 2J cwt. bonedust, and 2 cwt 

 kainit yielded 3 tons 9 cwt. 75 lb., and another of 1 cwt. sulphate 

 of ammonia, -k cwt. of sulphate of potash, 1 cwt. superphosphate, 

 and 1 cwt. bonedust gave the best returns, viz., 5 tons 1 cwt. 109 

 lb. of green feed, but at a somewhat greater expense. 



The Under-Secretary of Agriculture of Queensland informs me 

 that the manuring- of maize is practically non-existent in Queensland 

 except in isolated cases. 



In South Australia fine cobs were grown by Mr. F. G-ray, of 

 Riverton (20.36 in.); Messrs. Fisher, of Renmark (11.43 in.); Mr. 

 A. B. Robin, of Nuriootpa (about 21 in.) ; and Mr. Blackwell, of 

 Naracoorte (22.34 in.). The late J. E. Brown harvested from 5 

 acres at Bundaleer Forest (about 14 in.), from 40 to 45 bushel? 

 per acre. Mr. Hutchens and Mr. W. F. Hughes, of Woodside 

 (31.14 in.), made fine ensilage from cut maize. Mr. Westennan- 

 Smith, of Golden Grove (about 24 in.), grew maize and sorghum 

 better on rich, light soil, and even on pure sand than on stiff 

 flats. Horse-hoeing improves the crop much. He sows in October, 

 feeds with maize till February, when sorghum gets ready, which 

 will last until April and May. Millicent Bureau (29.02 in.) 

 states also that maize will grow on the peaty land in sheltered 

 places, but not on he open black flats; and Mr. W. Brooks, of 

 Hartley (about 16 in.), sows maize on the furrow, works it down well 

 and puts an iron roller over it; then sows lucerne on it, which 

 thereby obtains shelter. Mr. Giles, of Mount Pleasant (27.59 in.) 

 sows in November with bonedust on well-cultivated clayey flats, and 

 provides for one month food for about twenty head of cattle. Mr 

 H. C. Schmidt, of Tanunda (30.56 in.), had 4 ft. high maize on 

 the 5th of December, sown in October. Mr. E. W. Tucker, of 

 Finniss (17.29 in.), showed Szeckler in<aize, having as many as ten 

 cobs growing on one stalk, and the grain was much larger than the 

 imported. On the swampy lands there he could cut from 50 to- 

 70 tons of green feed. Mr. W. H. Hughes, of Aldgate (30 in.), had 

 Horse-tooth maize 7 ft. and Ninety Days' maize 6 ft. high in loamy 

 soil, enriched by bonedust ; and Mr. C. Arndt had the Ninety Days'" 

 maize 10 ft. high, stooling and cobbing well on a river flat. Mr.. 



