702 MAIZE 



chap, sells only the surplus of his crop ; a farmer who has foresight 

 naturally plants more than he expects to use, to avoid the risk 

 of a shortage of food-stuffs for his stock in the event of a bad 

 season. In ordinarily favourable seasons he harvests more than 

 he actually needs for feeding, and is able to sell the balance. 

 Of the enormous United States crop of 747,000,000 muids only 

 1 \ per cent (about 10,000,000 muids) is exported. 



Hunt (1) says that in America, the home of maize, the 

 chief use of this crop is as food for domestic animals. 



" In connection with grass it is the meat-producing material 

 of the United States. The wonderful development of our pork 

 industry is directly related to our maize crop. . . . The ears of 

 maize are the natural food of the civilized hog." "The total 

 amount of digestible nutrients in the grain and stover are about 

 in the proportion of two to one, but the proportionate food 

 value of the grain is greater on account of its greater net avail- 

 able energy." 



The use of maize grain as an addition to veld grazing, veld 

 hay, or other roughage is increasing in South Africa, though its 

 value is not yet fully appreciated. Some farmers perhaps go 

 to the other extreme, and think that because maize is a good 

 food it may be fed without stint ; but this is not the case. 

 The grain by itself is too concentrated for a ration, and it con- 

 tains too high a percentage of carbohydrates (fat formers) to 

 be used alone. Moreover, a mixed ration is more suitable and 

 more economical in any case. 



But, as Henry (1) has well said, " Let us not despise maize 

 because, when wrongly and excessively used ... it failed to 

 develop the normal framework of bone and muscle. Each feed 

 has its function in the nutrition of animals, and only by its 

 abuse can unfavourable results follow. This grain has enabled 

 the United States to take first rank among nations in the 

 quantity of pork produced, and upon its judicious use rests 

 future success." 



659. Grain and Pasturage. — Where the natural summer 

 pasturage is scarce, and the lack of food, together with flies 

 and heat, are reducing gains in the "condition" already made 

 by slaughter bullocks, Henry recommends that feeding with 

 maize grain should be adopted. The feeder begins by supplying 

 about a peck (14 lbs-.) of maize per head, increasing the amount 



