MAIZE FOR COB.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19469, 27 October 1926, Page 19

MAIZE FOR COB.

SELECTION 0* SEED: HINTS Qti HARVESTING. (Bvoadcaptea front JtA by Mr. A. ,<3; Euioij Assist; Instructor in AgflfcitlltiffcJ Almost hall tif the total area in maize in New Zealand is grown in tlie Auckland Province, principally in the Bay of Plenty area; In these districts where the trod is harvested; the soil ami climatic conditions are naturally tlie great faetors in maturing ihe crop although the method of cultivation and selection of seed are Important points to remember; Following early ploughing and preparation of a good seed bed by discing and frequent harrowing) the selected seed is pianted from the middle of . Oeteber to the middle of November; Various methods of planting art! u.sedj but best results aro secured by planting Single seeds in rows •it intervals of sft: td Sft: 6in. ou a square, Tlik allows room for cultivation botwoon plants and the seatb ficr is the best implement for this purpose: Growers must realise that make is a crop which demands a good supply of moisture just at tho time of the year when the soil moisture is nt its minimum: Thus quite apart from tho necessary checking cf weed growth, tho scarifier forms a surface mulch which diminishes tho loss of soil moisture by capillarity and evaporation. Harrows may also bo used for this work, although they are not so effective as are scarifiers. Seeding ia also dorio through the drill, and in this case tho rows should be 28in. apart. In both conditions, seeding is at the rate uf 141b. to 201b. per acre and tho varieties used depend on the district conditions. In the Bay of Plenty, growers have selected and perpetuated their own strains of seed, usually the result of a cross founded on tho Yellow Dent or Horsetooth types. Keen growers have imported varieties from Australia and America, and have produced a good sample from which they select seed for planting each year. As can only be expected from unscientific crossing and home selection, tho vitality and productivity of such seed is comparatively low. It, however, has tlie advantage of being acclimatised, although in unfavourable seasons such na experienced last year, the vigour of a good line of seed is »b. sent in tiie " crosses" used and crops are poor generally. In North Auckland and to a smaller extent in the Bay of Plenty, Early Butler is used and in the former area Hickory King and Ninety Day are giving good results. Fertilisers for Maize, It has been the practice to grow maize on good alluvial land for many years in the same area without tho use of fertilise?, Growers are now ,-Uivo to the fact that to secure good yields jind to keep jam) in good heart some fertiliser must be psed. Proprietary mixtures prepared by local firms are used with success, but in many cases growers ask for their own in-, gredients and have them mixed or do this on the ground. Tho following is a typical mixture; —Superphosphate, g-3cwt, Blood and Bone. Icwt., Sulphate of Potash. Icwt., 4-scw!. per acre, When applying iiertilisers it is advisable to have this spread and not too close to tho seed. This is a great factor in encouraging tho root, growth which is of great importance to the fully grown plant, Cobs are plucked and cribbed usually in May or June, depending on the season and variety of seed planted, Early Butler and Ninety Day, although not used te a large extent, are early varieties, as also aro several locally evolved strains, By the end of June most of the areas have been cribbed and the cobs left to mature before shelling out. Cobs plucked too early can readily bo distinguished from ripened ones in crib by tho general looseness of seeds in the rows on the cob, P„ipe cobs are quite firm and the rows do not give under hard pressure, Under normal conditions, cobs, if not shelled immediately, aro left for two months to mature, although the time of shelling is governed by market conditions, Shelling and bagging is done by machine, and no attempt is made at grading of tho crop, This is unfortunate, but the merchants merely buy " maize " irrespective of variety or quality. The average for New Zealand is 49 nshels per acre, but this figure is much higher in the Bay of Plenty, whore 6070 bushels would be the average in a normal season. Certain selections of acclimatised crossed strains have given yields of 100 bushels per acre over a period of several years on small areas. If it be taken that the cost of production is £lO per acre when every operation is costed and rent and labour'taken into consideration, then a grower must pro. duce from 35-40 bushels per acre before he can show a profit on the whole operation. It is obvious therefore that besides supplying his own needs, the growing of maize in a normal season is quite a pro. fitable businesi! for the farmer and ono that fits in well with the ordinary routine of a dairy farm. Important U3es. Maize has several very important uses on the farm and one of increasing importance is that of a ration for pigs. Thero is a very marked increase in tlie number of pigs raised in New Zealand during the last few years and the important relation of maize-growing to this industry is obvious. On many dairy farms it is the practice to send one pig off the farm for every cow milked and on several farms visited two pigs are raised for each cow in the herd. Poultry feed is largely composed of maize and the raising of poultry is also a growing industry which will necessitate the growing of more maize to supply local needs. The grain in one form or another can well be introduced into the feed of most farm animals, though to a smaller extent than that required for pigs and poultry. In addition to this we have to produce seed for cob and green feed areas for our farm requirements. In spite of tho areas planted it is worthy of notice that last year wo imported about 3000 tons of' maize from South Africa and Australia for distribution from Auckland. I feel sure that with our favourable conditions and absence from diseaso in the crop, wo can produce sufficient maize for local needs at a figure which would give the farmer a good return for his outlay and also enable the merchants to handle tho produce with a reasonable profit.