ZEA MAYS. 



23 



Diseases and injuries. 



Cost of cultivation. 



the leafy envelopes surrounding the cobs are dry and shrivelled, when the stalks are 

 so hard and desiccated as to be almost useless for any purpose but thatching. The 

 cobs may be either pulled by themselves and the stalks left standing in the field until 

 there is leisure to cut them, or the stalk may be cut with the cobs on them, and heaped 

 in shocks to dry before threshing. If the grain is to be separated from the cob before 

 it is perfectly dry, the task is a slow and troublesome one, it being necessary to deal with 

 each cob separately, forcing the grain from it by the fingers or the point of a trowel. 

 When the cobs are perfectly dry threshing can be easily and speedily performed by 

 beating a heap of them with a rough flail or stick, or treading the grain out by cattle. 

 The weight of grain varies from one-half to two-thirds of that of the cob. If the out- 

 turn of grain does not promise well, the stalks are sometimes cut while green and 

 given to cattle, since the maize stalk when young and succulent contains a very large 

 amount of saccharine matter and is a valuable fodder. 



The maize is singularly free from disease of any kind, and the only insect from 

 which it suffers is a small caterpillar called salai, which burrows in the stalk and leaf 

 sheaths. It is on the other hand more liable than any other crop to the depredations 

 of parrots, squirrels, jackals and porcupines, as well as human thieves, and unless care- 

 fully watched by night and day, the crop has small chance of reaching the threshing 

 floor. A tall platform is erected in the centre of the field, from which the cultivator or 

 one of his family are but seldom absent for at least a fortnight before harvest time. 

 Occasionally a mound of earth at one corner of the field affords the necessary vantage 

 ground. Armed with a sling or catapult, and maintaining a constant series of shouts and 

 cries, the watcher wages unceasing war during the day with hordes of parrots and squirrels 

 which come crowding from the neighbouring groves, and daring the night with jackals, 

 porcupines and wild swine. Often during the night time he descends from his platform, 

 and joining a cultivator from a neighbouring field, gives and obtains assistance in patrol- 

 ling the crops. It goes hardly then with any thief caught pilfering. The ringing and 

 not unmusical cries of the watchers in early September mornings are always pleasantly 

 associated with the return of the cold weather. 



The damage which maize sustains from flooding has been already noticed, and for 

 this reason it is generally grown on the uplands out of reach of any but abnormal floods. 



The cost of cultivation of unirrigated maize is estimated below : — 



RS, 



Plougting (four times), ... ... ... ... ... 3 



Clod crushing, 

 Sowing, 

 Seed (6 seers), 

 "Weeding (twice). 



Watching (proportional share), ... 



Cutting, ... _ ... l(on anoutturn of IG maunds),/ 

 Threshing and cleaning, J L 

 Manure (half value of three tons), 



Total, 



Rent (one-third of total rent for the year), 



Grand Total, 



A. 



3 



4 



14 



3 



3 



12 



1 

 1 4 

 1 8 



11 



13 







2 



8 







14 



5 







