90 QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. [1 Ave., 1898. 
clog up with the sticky black soil. All the recent American grain drills have 
appliances for planting maize either for grain or green feed. The width between 
the rows varies from 4 feet to 4 feet 6 inches, and in some cases to 5 feet. The 
usual depth for planting is about 14 inches in the early part of the season, 
and up to 3 inches and over as the soil gets warmer. The varieties planted are 
mostly of the kinds imported by the Department of Agriculture at different times, 
which have been found to do well on our Downs country. Some growers prefer hill 
planting to single grain planting and vice versd. My experience of hill planting versus 
single grain is that hill planting is not so liable to blow down after cobbing, and that 
there is not such a tendency to suckering. I have not noticed any difference in the 
yield; but in cultivating for the next crop the hill roots are more troublesome. After 
planting, the land is harrowed and then left until the corn can be seen in rows, when 
it is run over with a light or blunt-toothed harrow to disturb the young weeds amongst 
the plants. Very few plants will be injured if the horses are not allowed to tread on 
them. After a few more days the maize is again run through with a scuffler or dise 
harrow, the latter implement being most in favour on level land, as, by the plough- 
like motion of the discs, it throws just sufficient soil round the maize plants to smother 
any weeds that may be left growing after the harrowing, and it has the advantage 
over the horse hoe that two horses can be hitched to it, one on each side of the row, 
and the driver can ride and smile. After being run through once or twice, it is laid 
by until it is ripe. Harvesting is done by pulling off tle cobs from the stalks with 
the husk on and throwing them into convenient heaps, when a dray or wagon comes 
along and carts them to the shed, or, more commonly, into a heap in or near the field. 
‘Then the thresher comes along in the shape of a machine that is capable of 
husking, shelling, cleaning, and bagging ready for market up to 1,200 bushels per 
day. ‘The machine is drawn about by a traction engine, which also drives 
it when at work. The engine draws the machine into its place, then backs 
off to its place behind the thresher, the belt is put on, the elevator to haul 
oF the cobs is run out to the heap, and also one to stack the husk and_cob. 
‘hree men with iron scoops take their positions at the heap and two men at the bags. 
The whistle is sounded, the engine starts, and down comes the clean maize into he 
bags at the rate of 100 bushels per hour. Nineteen-twentieths of the maize on the 
Southern Downs is now threshed by this kind of machine, as it is so much cheaper than 
the old method. ‘The total cost of threshing to the farmer is now 13d. per bushel as 
against 6d. to 8d. by the old method. Machines for harvesting maize have been tried, 
though so far they have not proved a success, as the cost of labour is too heavy ; but I 
have every reason to believe that a self-binding corn harvester will very shortly be 
placed on the market. One ordered by the Hawkesbury College was on exhibition at 
the last Warwick show, and I understand that our Department of Agriculture has 
one at Westbrook. Provided we could get a machine to cut two or more rows at a 
time and bind them into sheaves, and some inventive genius comes along with a 
machine that will thresh the whole lot, we would get some thousands of tons of good 
fodder which is at present wasted, as at present the stalks are either cut with a mower 
or a hoe, raked up, and burnt. The following is an estimate of the cost of growing 
and marketing one acre of maize on the Downs and profit at present ruling price. The 
estimate of yield, I think, is a fair one, taking an average for, say, five seasons :— 
Estimate of Cost of Growing 1 Acre of Maize on the Darling Downs and Return for Ditto at 
Present Price for a 40-bushel yield. 
Dr. 
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DOPWONWNHRRHWRO- 
Rent of land 
First ploughing... 
Second ploughing ... 
Harrowing ... ar 
Planting... x. 
Harrowing twice at 9d. 
Disc harrowing twice 
Pulling maize Hea! et re 
Carting maize a3: ott: nes 3% 
Threshing 40 bushels, at 14d. per bushel 
Drawing torail ... 1) re i 
Ten bags, at 5d. each 
Seed maize ... ay 
Balance 
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By 40 bushels maize, at 2s, 3d. per bushel 
—(Applause.) 
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