Maize for Fodder. 



47i 



considerable risk of injury from frost in the case of May 

 sowings. In America there are varieties of maize specially 

 adapted for fodder purposes, and probably some of these are 

 well adapted to English conditions. But results considered 

 sufficiently satisfactory are got in this country from the~use 

 of the ordinary flat white maize that is sold for feeding pur- 

 poses, provided care be taken to ascertain by experiment 

 that its germinative capacity is satisfactory, say 90 per cent, 

 or upwards. It is of the utmost importance that such a test 

 should be carried out, as, owing to heating, much commercial 

 maize is incapable of germination. 



The seed may be sown in a variety of ways, e.g.> by hand 

 dibbling, by means of a bean drill, etc., the best results^being 

 attained by placing the rows not closer than 16 inches, and 

 by burying the seed to a depth of about i\ to 3 inches. The 

 quantity of seed varies between i\ and 2} bushels per acre. 

 Heavy rolling after sowing is recommended by several of the 

 best growers. The greatest trouble, in many cases, arises 

 from the attacks of rooks, which search for the sprouting 

 grain with great persistency. It is, therefore, absolutely 

 necessary :hat means be taken to keep these birds off, and 

 this is best done by " stringing" the field before the sowers 

 leave it. If this operation be delayed, and the rooks find out 

 that maize is in the ground, it is extremely difficult subse- 

 quently to keep them off. Tarring the seed before sowing is 

 also practised with fair success as a method of prevention. 



When the young plants appear horse and hand hoeing 

 must be attended to, as in the case of other drilled crops ; 

 but when once fairly established maize, being a rank-growing 

 plant reaching a height of 5 or 6 feet, will largely suppress 

 weeds. 



The crop may be utilised in several ways. It is found to 

 be very useful for scattering on bare pastures in August and 

 September, where it is readily eaten by all kinds of stock, not 

 excluding pigs. In America, and to some extent in this 

 country, the main value of the crop is due to the opportunity 

 it provides, through the agency of ensilage, of furnishing a 

 supply of nutritious succulent material for use in the winter 

 and spring months. 



