594 



THE AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 



such as Achillea, Anemone Japonica, 

 Cannas, Carnations, Cuphea, Coreopsis 

 lauceolata, Daturas, Gaillardia Perennis, 

 Geraniums, Heliotropes, Hydrangeas, 

 Hypericum, Lilies, Pentstemons, Salvias, 

 Streptosolen, Phlox decussata. Pelargo- 

 niums, etc. The borders should be well 



prepared by digging and manuring. All 

 the decayed vegetable refuse from the 

 garden should be forked in, and iu addi- 

 tion a good dressing of bone dust, which 

 is one of the best fertilizers for a per- 

 manent border. 



Mealie Trials at Balgowan. 



By Bruce Hutchinson. 



MR, BRUCE HUTCHINSON, of Messrs. 

 G. and B. Hutchinson, Boschfontein, 

 Balgowan, is good enough to send the 

 following full and interesting account of 

 experiments with various fertilisers in 

 mealie culture made last year -l'JOO-1901. 



Seed : Yellow horse tooth. Planted in 

 squares 3 feet apart each way. Two plants 



Plot. 

 No. 1. 

 No. 2. 



No. 3. 



No. 4. 

 No. 5. 



No. 6 



No. 7. 

 No. 8. 



No. 9. 



The bad mealies were not shelled find 

 weighed, being absolutely useless ; the 

 quantity was estimated from the quantity 

 of bad cobs, and will be practically correct. 

 The weights given are good shelled 

 mealies and thoronglily dry. 



It is rather difficult to see why there 

 should have been a comparatively large 

 quantity of bad mealies on some plots 

 and none on others. It does not appear 

 to have been caused by any one parti- 

 cular kind of fertiliser. The cobs went 

 bad on the stalks. The bulk of the crop 

 ■was a very good sample of grain, which 

 makes it harder still to account for the 

 bad cobs every here and there. 



in each hill. Land in thoroughly good 

 cultivation; plots one-fifth of an acre each. 

 Planted November 23rd-24th, 1900. After 

 cultivation — with weeder, November 27th 

 and December 11th, 1900 ; with scuffler, 

 December 2r)th, 1900, and January 19th, 

 1901 ; thinned by hand. January 15th, 

 1901 ; reaped, July, 1901 ; shelled, No- 

 vember, 1901. 



Bad Mealies 

 estimated. 

 ^ muid 

 1 „ 



Crop per 

 lbs. 



2,785 

 3,145 



Acre- 



— Good Meal 

 muids. lbs 

 14 41 

 16 9 



1 „ 



2,960 





15 



20 



li „ 



2,750 





14 



6 



1 „ 



2,970 





15 



30 





2,900 





14 



156 



u „ 



2,430 





12 



78 





2.700 





13 



152 





3,420 





17 



88 



To ensure accurate returns, the plots 

 were made rather larger than one-fifth of 

 an acre, and at reaping time every plot 

 was counted to 968 squares, all surpltis 

 squares being taken off the ends of rows. 

 Also between each plot— which consisted 

 of six to eight rows — one row was left 

 before commencing next trial plot, other- 

 wise the mealies in outside rows of each 

 plot would have their roots running into 

 the fertiliser in adjoining plot. All sur- 

 plus squares not counted in trial plots 

 were reaped and removed before com- 

 mencing reaping the trials. 



These trials were made on, compara- 

 tively speaking, new land, it having been 



Quantity per Acre 

 Fertiliser. sown in drills. 



None 



Thomas Phosphate 5 cwt. 



Natural Bird Island Guano 4 ,, 



Sulphate of Ammonia 1 „ 



Muriate of Potash J „ 



Natural Bird Island Guano 4 „ 



i Muriate of Potash i „ 



Natural Bird Island Guano 4 „ 



Bone Dust 5 „ 



Sulphate of Ammonia 1 ,, 



Muriate of Potash 5 „ 



j Bone Dust 5 „ I 



I Muriate of Potash J ,, ( 



Bone Dust 5 ,, 



Bone Dust 3 „ j 



Thomas Phosphate 4 „ 



Muriate of Potash J „ ) 



