MAIZE. 97 



M.4. Ordinary straight- To be milled from South African- 

 milled yellow grown yellow maize, Govem- 

 maize meal ment standard maize grades 

 Nos. 4 and 6, as set forth in 

 Kegulation 1. (Mesh 18 to 32.) 



M.5. Mixed maize meal To be milled from South African- 

 grown white maize and yellow 

 maize, Government standard 

 maize grades Nos. 1 to 7, as 

 set forth in Kegulation 1. 

 (Mesh 18 to 32.) 



As maize is the staple food of the South African natives, a 

 good local market is always assured, particularly in the mining' 

 areas, where white varieties are in great demand. At present 

 maize is sold for local consumption in bags of 203 pounds 

 gross weight. 



Under the Government's scheme, port elevators are to 

 be erected at Durban and Capetown, with country elevators 

 in the principal areas of production. With their inauguration, 

 long since overdue, a vast saving in handling the crop will be 

 effected ; bags will be dispensed with to a great extent, wastage 

 will be reduced to a minimum, transportation will be facili- 

 tated, a great impetus wdll be given to the industry, the pro- 

 ducer will receive a larger share of the profits, buying and 

 selling will be simplified, ajid the export trade better regulated. 



MAIZE IMPEOVEMENT. 



Seed Selection. — Probably one of the weakest links in 

 the chain of maize producton in the Union is the general 

 failure to practise seed selection. Fanners as yet do not sufii- 

 ciently appreciate the value of good seed. The general 

 procedure is to utilise the largest separates from behind the 

 sheller. While this may be considered to a very limited 

 extent as a form of mass selection, it must be obvious that a 

 great proportion of these large kernels may originate from 

 indifferent ears, and must, of course, give rise to indifferent 

 results when used as seed. Certain growers select their seed 

 ears from the crop after harvesting. While a better practice 

 than the preceding one, it is by no means wholly desirable, 

 as the plants on which these ears have been borne have not 

 been taken into consideration. Consequently, favourable en- 

 vironment factors, e.g., wide spacing, and so forth, may over- 



