41 6 MAIZE 



CHAR causes the leaves of the maize plant to curl up their edges in 

 x - folding, and to assume a bluish- or in extreme cases whitish- 

 green tint. 



Weeds, 



Rich soils are often to be weeded.— Bacon. 



373. Weeds. — A weed is a plant growing spontaneously 

 where it is not wanted. 



When newly-broken veld is used for maize, weeds are not 

 very troublesome, and cleaning is then a comparatively small 

 item in the cost of production. But in three years, or less, of 

 continuous maize cultivation the land becomes foul and more 

 time and labour are required to keep it clean. Cases occur 

 where maize has been grown continuously for several years 

 and where, owing to scarcity of labour, weeds have become 

 such a pest that the yield is not more than one muid (200 lbs.) 

 per acre. 



The weed question does not appeal to the farmer who con- 

 trols such large areas that he can plough up new lands for 

 maize, year after year, and abandon the old to grass. But 

 the number of those who have no more suitable unbroken veld 

 available for cropping is yearly increasing ; as the farms be- 

 come divided into smaller holdings, and as it becomes necessary 

 to crop the old lands, the weed problem is certain to become 

 more acute. The farmer who has been used to the method of 

 breaking new lands each year, already complains that under the 

 changed conditions maize-growing is becoming unprofitable, and 

 that as the new lands become exhausted South Africa will cease 

 to be a maize-producing country. We do not agree with this 

 pessimistic view ; in other countries maize is grown profitably 

 on old lands, lands which have been for centuries under the 

 plough, and the same can be done in South Africa ; it is only 

 necessary to revise the methods to meet the changed conditions. 

 In any case maize requires cultivation to give the best returns, 

 and the cultivation of the lands for the purpose of cleaning 

 them of weeds will, in addition to destroying the weeds, greatly 

 increase the maize crop (II 307). 



374. Parasitic Weeds. — Weeds may be profitably dis- 

 cussed under two heads, Parasitic and Non-parasitic weeds. 

 Plant parasites in general are those which draw some, if not 



