130 MAIZE 



Chap, improvement in the quality of seed planted ; (2) improvement 

 v - in the condition of the soil ; (3) improvement in methods of 

 cultivation." 



In the present chapter we shall deal with the first of these 

 three points ; the others are discussed subsequently. 



100. The Cause of Poor Yields.- — Poor yields are not as a 

 rule traceable to any single cause, but are due to a combination 

 of causes, such as poor farming, poor seed, mixed strains, etc. 



Good seed is seed bred with reference to certain definite 

 requirements and possessing high germinating power. 



Well-bred seed usually has a higher germinating power 

 than ordinary seed of the same age, kept with equal care. If 

 the germination is poor the stand will be poor ; every ear 

 should yield at least 8 ozs. of grain ; every 400 failures in 

 germination therefore reduce the possible yield by at least one 

 muid of grain. Since 8,800 seeds will plant 1 acre, 400 

 poor seeds cause a loss of 4 "5 per cent ; but very few average 

 samples of seed-maize will show so high a germination as 95 '5 

 per cent. Of some seed planted only 80 per cent germinates ; 

 this means, of course, that 20 per cent of the seed was unsound 

 in one way or another. A 20 per cent failure in germination 

 would mean a loss in some cases of 3 muids per acre, in other 

 cases more. 



Poorly-bred seed, moreover, is apt to produce barren stalks 

 and small ears yielding perhaps only 3 ozs. of grain apiece. A 

 plant that does not produce 8 ozs. of grain is not giving an 

 adequate return for the time and care bestowed upon it, nor 

 for the space that it occupies. A good plant, yielding 8 ozs. 

 and more of grain, takes up no more space, and requires no 

 more scuffling or other attention than a poor one, and it costs 

 as much to harvest the one as the other. It is plainly evident 

 that it is unprofitable to grow crops from poor seed. 



The difficulty is to know beforehand which seed is going 

 to produce a poor plant and which a good one. The object 

 of this chapter is to help the farmer to determine these points. 



Studies of South African maize crops carried out by the 

 writer have shown that, although the average yield per acre is 

 exceedingly low, the average weight of grain per ear is com- 

 paratively high. This is a most encouraging fact for it shows 

 that the crops have inherent possibilities of improvement. 



