VARIETIES AND BREEDS 329 



and the exclusion from the "No. 1 white flat" grade of all chap. 

 but the very best, there is a possibility of securing increased v "' 

 demand and still better prices for the best Hickory King. 

 Ladysmith and Iowa Silver-mine sell readily in Europe as " No. 

 2 flat white," and choice parcels as " No. 1 ". 



For the grade known as No. 2, or fair average quality 

 ("F.A.Q. "), yellow dents are in demand for stock-feeding 

 purposes, but yellow flints may be of equal market value if 

 of good quality. 



For the supply of the present markets, the course for the 

 South African farmer to follow is clearly to produce : — 



(a) A very "choice" (No. 1) grade of Hickory King, in 



order to increase the promising, though at present 

 very limited, export trade in this class of maize. 



(b) A good quality of white dent maize of the No. 2 



grade, such as Hickory Horsetooth, 10-row Hickory, 

 Ladysmith, Boone County, Mercer, or Iowa Silver- 

 mine, for use on the mines and for export. 



(c) A No. 2 quality of yellow dent maize, to be used for 



stock food locally and in Europe. 



(d) A limited amount of yellow flint (where dents cannot 



be grown profitably) for feeding his own stock, 

 and for export when the price warrants. 



In the present condition of the market, farmers will pro- 

 bably find it better to limit their export trade to the first, 

 second and third classes indicated above, though it is not 

 improbable that the export demand for yellow flint will 

 increase. 



With the exception of choice Hickory King for export, and 

 yellow maize for local stock food, it does not appear to matter 

 what particular breed is grown so long as it meets the above 

 general requirements. From the farmer's point of view, there- 

 fore, the question resolves itself into finding out which breed 

 gives the best yield of maize of good quality under the con- 

 ditions of climate and soil of his particular farm, and this de- 

 pends largely on (1) the time taken by a breed to mature, and 

 (2) length of growing season, which latter depends in turn on (a) 

 altitude, (l>) amount and (c) incidence of rainfall. 



