10 
THE AUSTRALIAN GARDENER. 
Jury 14, 1906 
Maize Growing in Gippsland. 
At Bairnsdale. 
To my idea this is the pick of Gipps- 
Jand. For about two miles in length and 
one in breadth yon can see nothing but 
a mass of waving Indian corn, and the 
Mitchell River winding its way in and 
out on the northern side helps greatly to 
enchant the vi-w. This narrow strip of 
land is well worsh looking at, and is quite 
" worthy of all the praise one can bestow 
upon it. Maize growing is the chief in- 
dustry, although occasionally one may 
see an odd crop of barley or pumpkins. 
The Jand is of a very rich character, co 3- 
sisting chietly of the washings from the 
river, which have heen brought down hy 
floods. These very often occur, and at 
times, when the crops are from 3 to 5 ft. 
high, they do an immense amount of 
damage. This part is more subject to 
floods, owing to the fact of the land being 
so Jevel on one side, the high northern 
bank helping in a great measure to force 
the water over the more level country. 
The land commands a very high figure in 
the market, being sold at prices ranging 
from £40 to £60. It is admirably adapted 
for curn-growing, which is clearly seen 
owing to the splendid crops that are har- 
vested every season. At the time of my 
visit they looked lovely, being from 5 to 8 
ft high, and by the time they are fit to 
pick a great number of them will go as 
high as 12 ft. I was told by a resident 
that odd crops haye been known to reach 
14 ft. This my appeac rather overdrawn, 
but judging from the height they were in 
*January I think it quite possible that 
some of them would reach 13 ft. The 
crops for the last couple of seasons have 
been exceptionally good, and the present 
sea$on they appear even better than last 
year. The average yield last harvest was 
from 80 to 90 bushels per acre, and con- 
sidering the high prices of corn last season 
the farmers came out very well. In some 
instances as much as 22s 6d per bag was 
paid, thus clearly proving that the profits 
were very large, and from present indica- 
tions they are likely to reap another good 
profit. 
’ ‘The maize are planted as ‘soon as the 
last frosts are over, in October, and at the 
rate of about 10 lbs to ths acre, and at a 
cost of sowing of something like 2s 6d 
per acre, and beyond keeping the crops 
clean by horse and hand hoeing, it is left 
to itself until ripe. The first picking 
generally commences about the middle of 
April, according tu the season. 
pickers about this time commence to 
assemble on the river banks, pitching 
their teuts in sheltered positions, within 
easy access of the water, with which, how- 
ever, they have too close acquaintance. . 
Hirings or engagements are usually en- 
tered into at the rate of 4d to 5d per bag ; 
sometimes as high as 6d has been offered 
and refused, where the land was flouded 
and the crop Jying in the mud and water 
Maize- © 
I think there are no very big cheques to 
be made at the game. The days are short 
and the weather very changeable as a rule, 
and too many broken days increase the 
tucker bill. Nevertheless, when other 
work is slack, maize-picking is something 
to fall back on, and almost anyone can do 
it. So far the system adopted is that of 
picking into bags, which are gatherel up 
by the waggoners and taken vo the cribs, 
where the cobs ara emptied ont and left 
until shelled and bagged for shipment. .All 
nationalities can be seen on the cornfields 
at this period of the year. 
As soon as the paddocks are picked, 
then the horses, cattle, and pigs are 
turned in, and are invited to revel 
atinongst the missed and fallen ears and 
the grass and weeds which, during the 
last couple of months, have been making 
luxuriant growth, untouched by the hoe. 
Where the pumpkins are also plentiful 
the pig’s happiness is complete. Muaize- 
growers are not altogether content with 
the net profits of maize-growing alone, 
but have hit upon the idea of buying and 
breeding store pigs, which they turn into 
their maize paddocks to fatten as soon as 
ever the cobs are ripe enough. The lean 
pigs assimilate corn and pumpkins which 
in their case are convertible terms for 
prospective lard and bacon, and when con 
sidered fit are driven away to the nearest 
railway station, whence they are trucked 
to the metropolis by rail. 
Maize-growing is also carried on very 
extensively at Orbost, which is situated 
on the Snowy River. This country, like 
Lindenow, is also suitable for corn-grow- 
ing. A few figures will demonstrate the 
capacity of the Orbost district. In 190L 
there were 2,300 acres under maize, yielu- 
ing somewhere about 184,000 bushels of 
shelled grain, an average of 8) bushels 
per acre. Out of this quautity about 10 
cent, or say 18,400 bushels, were fed to 
something like 5,000 pigs, being a topping- 
off of 3 3-5ths bushels per head, and the 
balance, i65,000 bushels, were forwarded 
to the Melbourne grain st-res. Out of 
the latter quantity about 8,000 bushels 
found their way to the Lakes Entrance 
by horse and bullock teams, and the re- 
mainder was either shipped to Melbourne 
direct or via Cunninghame, whenever the 
state of the Snowy River bar will allow 
of the egress of the necessary steamers. 
The freight to Melbourne amounts to 
about 25s. per ton, or 73d per bushel. 
The bullock teams travel from Orbost to 
Cunninghame, a distance of about $4 
miles, loaded with from 40 to 50 bags, 
while the horse teams carry from 20 to 25 
bags. Each bag contains about 43 bushels, 
which, at 56 lbs to the bushel, amounts 
to about % tons per load. The 50-bag 
loads weigh about 5 tons. ‘The bush 
roads at certain times of the year are 
almost impassable, which makes the cart- 
in much more difficult. 
Pig fattening is carried on ra‘her ex- 
tensively in this district. When fat they 
are driven in mobs to Bairnsdale, where 
they are trucked to town. The journey 
to Bairnsdale takes abent six days. The 
animals are shown the way by a waggon 
of maiz» driven in front of them, and 
when they are inclined to loiter on the: 
track they are simply coaxed along by 
handfuls of maize thrown on the track. 
Thus they are kept moving during the 
day, and when night falls they are quite 
ready to stop and lie down till morning. 
Wien the niarket for pigs is buoyant pig 
fattening on the rich alluvial flits is very 
profitable, and,there isa rush for store 
pigs to consume the maize; then, naturally, 
there is a pig boom, when farmers may, 
unless they are good buyers, pay more for 
store pigs than they cin afterwards sell 
them for as fats. But experience during 
the past few years has taught them to be 
wise. The speculative spirit has steadied 
down to the dead level of ¢ nwimon sense 
and security, and the farmers have learned 
that it is far better to be sure than sorry 
in dealing with the maize at the Snowy 
River. One striking characteristic which 
seems to appear to almost every visitor to 
the Orbost flat farms, no matter whether 
it is during the hotrest day of summer or 
the coldest one in winter, is the fact that 
all animals appear to be sleek and in the 
best of health. Horses, pigs, und cattle, 
one and all, scem to be always in the very 
best of nick, and the reason of this, to a 
very great dezree. I believe, is the constant 
feeding of Inlian corn. 
a 
MrT. S. Dymonp (British dairy expert) 
speaking o? dairy farming in Denmark, said 
that the success of Denmark which is not- 
naturally fitted for dairy farming country, 
may be believed to be due priwarily to the 
creation of peasant freeholdeis by legisla- 
tion; secondarily, to the high degree of 
educition both yeneral and t-chnicat which 
they are given the opportunity of acquir- 
ing; and finally, to the system of co-opera- 
tion by which the smillest farmers are. 
able to secure the advan ages of every 
scientific development, 
The effect cf hone dust on the growth 
of roses, carnations, and other flowers 
grown either in the open ground or under 
glass, is very rapid and reinarkable. 
Prepare for cold weather as the days 
lengthen 
Do not meet trouble half way—go ont 
and down it before it sets ont to visit 
you 
Hh. & W. Packett 
OFFER FOR SALE— 
DIANTHUS SNOWDRIFT 
Very Large Double White Fringed. 
Js. per packet. 
Novelty Lists ready. 
73 Rundle-street. 
Nursery, Marryatyille, Adelaide Tel 350° 
