310 



experience goes, plants budded during July and August gave de- 

 cidedly the best results, whilst those budded in January were a com- 

 plete failure. 



It ought to be mentioned, however, that the latter plants looked 

 very promising for about a fortnight, during which period the wea- 

 ther was cool, but dry, then showery weather set in with the result 

 that not a single bud survived. Now that stock plants and buds are 

 available, experiments in budding will be carried out every month, 

 and the results carefully noted, and it is hoped that we shall tien be 

 able to arrive at some definite conclusions as to the best time, or 

 times of the year to carry on this work. 



Fruit Trees. — The European fruit trees are thriving remarkably 

 well and two of the imported young Apple trees bore good crops of 

 fruit. The following also fruited : -Mulberry, Fig, Peaches, Straw- 

 berries, and a small tree of Ruby Blood Orange. Strawberries grew 

 very freely, but the varieties of these and of Peaches under cultivation 

 are not of the best. 



Fodder Plants. In last Annual Report mention was made of Teosinte. 

 I am now enabled to supply some further information about this 

 valuable fodder plant. 



Teosinte [Euchlaena Mexicana,) Schrad, is a native of north and 

 south Mexico, the mountains of San Miguelito, San Luis Potosi, San 

 Augustin near the Pacific, and Guatemala. It is an annual but readily 

 reproduces itseK on good land from seed shed. 



Seed was sown at Resource in April, at an elevation of 3,600 feet- 

 The soil, which is a gritty loam with a good deal of clay intermixed, 

 resting on a sub-soil of red clay, was turned up to a depth of one foot, 

 and, after exposure to the sun and air for a few days, was thoroughly 

 broken up. The seed was then planted in much the same way as 

 Maize or "great corn" is planted, i.e. shallow holes were made about 

 20 inches apart with a " digger," and 2 or 3 seeds dropped into each 

 hole, and covered with surface soil. The seeds soon germinated and 

 the young plants grew quickly. The ground between the plants was 

 hoed twice. Yegetation was so rapid that the foliage of the plants 

 soon covered the ground, and prevented the growth of weeds. 



Teosinte began to flower on the 10th October about six months from 

 the date of planting the seeds. On the 23rd October as the plants 

 were in full flower, with several immature spikes of seed to each 

 stem they were thought to be in good condition for feeding purposes, 

 and haK the crop was cut down to test the yield, and its value as 

 green fodder. 



Fifteen to eighteen stems were produced from each root, and they 

 had attained a height of 8 to 10 feet. They were cut at six inches 

 above the ground, tied in bundles and carefully weighed, when the 

 yield was found to be at the rate of 44,000 lbs. or over 19^ tons per 

 acre. The stems were then givep to horses and mules and were readily 

 eaten. One or two of the horses ate everything but the others re- 

 jected the hard lower portions of the stems, or about one-eighth of the 

 total weight given them. 



