72 



Maize-Growing Experiments. 



and in moderate condition as regards fertility. The land was 

 ploughed in the autumn, ploughed again and cultivated in 

 the spring, and the seed drilled on May 29th. 



On one half ot each plot the rows were placed one foot 

 apart, and on the other half two feet apart, two bushels of 

 seed being used per acre in the former and one in the latter 

 case. The after-cultivation consisted of hand and horse 

 hoeing, the latter operation being performed several times. 



The crop, with the exception of a small strip of land 

 running through the centre of each plot, w r as manured as 

 follows per acre : — 12 loads of dung (ploughed in), 3 cwt. of 

 superphosphate applied at the time the crop was sown, and 

 ij cwt. of nitrate of soda put on after it was up. 



The seed germinated slowly and unevenly, and the crop 

 was greatly interfered with by rooks and rats, which attacked 

 it persistently until the corn was nearly a foot high, so that 

 in places a very indifferent plant was obtained. Until about 

 the middle of July the maize made but slow progress, but 

 after that date it grew rapidly, and on August 27th the 

 earliest plots were judged fit to be cut, and from that time 

 onwards, until it was finished, portions of it were cut daily 

 according to the requirements of the animals upon the 

 farm. 



The yield per acre of the "red cob " amounted to 21 tons 

 of green food, while the six varieties obtained from Canada 

 yielded from 13 tons to 22 tons per acre. 



The different species varied considerably in germinating 

 capacity, habit of growth and date of coming into ear. The 

 manures had a marked effect upon all the varieties, and 

 their application was well repaid in the increased yield. 



As regards thick and thin seeding, the thinly seeded plots 

 yielded slightly lighter crops in each case than the closer 

 sown, but the pi ants developed more satisfactorily than in the 

 latter, and it is probable that in feeding value the thinner 

 seeded plots had the advantage. This result is fully in accord 

 with American experience, namely, that the best results 

 were obtained by wide seeding, opportunity thus being 

 offered for the admission of light and air, and for intertillage. 

 The Wye experiments also confirmed the experience of 



