92 CHAPTER VI 



2nd Year. — Peanuts (monkey nuts). 

 3rd Year. — Maize fertilised with bone dust or super- 

 phosphate. 

 4th Year. — Cowpeas. 

 5th Year. — Maize. 



In this rotation, suited to middle veld and low veld condi- 

 tions, three-fifths of the land would be under maize. 



Irrigation. — It is the habit of many farmers to grow maize 

 as a summer crop on irrigable land, a practice not to be advo- 

 cated, as this expensive land would be better utilised for the 

 growing of more remunerative crops. 



Harvesting. — (1) For Grain. — Harvesting usually com- 

 mences early in June, and, as the winter is one of little rain, 

 may be delayed until August. By this time the grain is well 

 dried out and the moisture content is low. Generally speak- 

 ing, maize is not ready for harvesting until the ears droop, at 

 which stage they are easily snapjied off, and, if necessary, can 

 be shelled straight away. The ears are thrown into bags or 

 baskets, emptied then into wagons, carted and piled in heaps 

 on floors (made of loose timber or stones), and shelled, without 

 the previous removal of the husks. It is then bagged or stored 

 in bins or tanks in bulk while waiting to be marketed. 



The above is the method commonly in vogue among our 

 maize farmers. Some of the more progressive farmers have 

 adopted the more economical American method of harvesting. 

 The plants are cut by hand or by means of sledges, or prefer- 

 ably maize binders, and stocked or shocked, then left to stand 

 in the field for 6 to 8 weeks. The stage at which the maize is 

 cut is indicated as soon as the kernels assume the hard glazed 

 stage. If cut at this period, maturity is completed in the 

 stook. 



The stocks are carted off the land, the ears removed and 

 placed in piles ready for threshing, and the stover is stacked 

 ready for winter use. The stocks should not be made too 

 large ; about 20 to an acre is usual. Each stook is best bound 

 near the summit with binding twine. The task for one man is 

 about an acre a day, but three men with a maize binder will 

 cut and stook about 10 acres per diem. 



The advantages of this method are that the maize is cut 

 at a stage when it has attained the highest yield of grain com- 

 bined with a relatively high nutritive value of stover, better 

 maintained than if subjected to leaching and weathering ; the 

 leaves, the most valuable part of the stover, are preserved in- 



