CEREALS IO5 



We exported 1,750,000 muids of maize grain in 1910. 

 I believe that the Transvaal alone will be able to produce 

 without difficulty, and will produce in the near future 

 35,000,000 muids per annum. 



Maize will always be the staple cash crop of South 

 Africa. As its value for stock food becomes better 

 appreciated the local demand will increase, and in this 

 connection Earl Grey's recent prophecy (at the " South 

 African Dinner," 1913) of a coming shortage of the 

 world's beef supply is suggestive. Maize and cattle 

 farming go hand in hand. 



Distribution and Climatic Requirements. Though the 

 maize plant is not known in a truly wild state, i.e., re- 

 producing itself spontaneously from self-sown seed, it 

 appears to have originated on the tropical table-lands of 

 northern South America, probably New Granada, at a 

 considerable altitude (probably above 4,500 ft.). It is 

 now grown as a staple grain crop in the following 

 countries : 

 North America: 



United States. 



Mexico. 



Canada (Ontario and Quebec). 

 South America : 



Argentina. 



Uruguay. 



Chile. 

 Europe : 



Austria. 



Hungary. 



Croatia-Slavonia . 



Bosnia-Herzegovina . 



Roumania. 



Italy. 



Russia. 



Northern Caucasia 



Serbia. 



Bulgaria. 



Spain. 



Portugal. 



France. 



