GROWING OF MAIZE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19721, 22 August 1927, Page 15

GROWING OF MAIZE.

A VERY VALUABLE CROP. EFFECTS ON DAIRYING. PROPOSED LOWER DUTY. The proposals recently made to reduce t the duty on maize imported into New j Zealand, and the announcement made that the N"ew Zealand Department of j Agriculture, in conjunction with the agri- j cultural instructors attached to the i Education Department, is to take steps j in the direction of improving the culture of maize in this country, has drawn widespread attention to a crop which, though important, has never before received much ! public notice. The average total area of maize grown in New Zealand runs between 8000 and 10,000 acres, and the total yield is between 400,000 and 500,000 bushels, ranging from 43 bushels to 51 bushels per acre per year. This is insignificant compared with the production of wheat and oats, which amounts to millions of bushels yearly, but it has or should have an important bearing upon the North Island, and particularly upon the Auckland agriculture where maize is chiefly grown not only because the northern parts of the Dominion produce very little wheat or oats, but because of the effects maize growing may have upon other branches of farming. Opportunities Tor Extension. Maize-growing is practically confined to the Bay of Plenty and the North Auckland districts, where the climate and the character of the soils favour this crop but until comparatively recent years, both these districts were severely handicapped by lack of road and railway communication, and maize-growing could only be carried on successfully when prices for this grain were high. At the present time, North Auckland, with its completed railway running up to the Bay of Islands and to within easy reach of Hokianga, and with the warm valleys of the Northern Wairoa about to be connected with the main railway system, offers great opportunities for maize-growing. The warm summers and the extensive alluvial flats provide, very favourable conditions for this crop, and since maize under modern farming methods is intimately related to dairying, pigfarming, and poultry-raising, there is every inducement for a large increase in the areas sown in this crop. Much the same conditions apply to the Bay of Plenty, and a striking feature of both districts is that the drainage of extensive swamps and alluvial flats during recent years has greatly increased the areas suitable for maize-growing. Maize at the present prices will prove a profitable crop for marketing outside the districts mentioned, but as we have already suggested, its chief value may be in its effect upon other industries. Maize and Piglarming.

The dairy farmer will find it well worth his while to cultivate a certain amount* of maize, because under the prevalent system,, he can grow between the rows of this cereal his potato supply, the pumpkins and mangels as supplementary feed for his cows. The amount of stock which may be carried per acre in the maize districts when such sub-tropical grasses as paspalum and other luxuriant summer varieties are crown together with mangels and pumpkins, is simply marvellous. But apart from the effect of maize-growing and its accompaniments on the herd itself, there is to be considered the effect of maize and other cereals on that very important accessory to dairying —pigfarming It is estimated that under present conditions it requires the skim milk from two cows to bring a pig up to store condition, but experience has definitely shown that if maize or some other cereal food is added, the milk from one cow is quite sufficient for two pigs. The maize grain may be fed whole as when taken from the cob: it may be soaked in water and fed whole when it is in the germinating stage, or, of course, it may be ground into a meal and mixed directly with the milk It is said that the effect of feeding maize to pigs is to make the fat soft and yellow, but this is the result of too exclusive a diet on maize. When used with skim milk or whey in proper proportion, and particularly "when the pig has had good grazing up to the fattening period there is little danger of the pork being yellow in the fat or soft. Improvement in Quality. It is quite evident that the work of improving the quality of the maize grown in New Zealand, undertaken by the Department of Agriculture is needed. The average crop of under 50 bushels per acre is far too low. Crops of over 100 bushels per acre have been raised in the Bay of Plenty, and 80 bushel crops have been common " Few grains can be so rapidly improved under seed selection as maize. In some of the competition crops in America, over 200 bushels per acre have been raised, and there should be no great difficulty when high-class seed is used and good cultural methods followed in raising the average yield in New Zealand to 80 or even 100 bushels There is room also for experiment in the effect of different varieties of maize on pig feeding For instance, would a white maize cause the objectionable yellow colour in pork ? Are "there varieties of maize which have less effect in the softening of fat than others? Since the Department of Agriculture is taking up work in connection with maizegrowing, it might deal with theso questions, and with others such as the most economical amount of maize to use with skim milk;*and whether some cheap concentrate ccftild be used to counteract the drawbacks of maize feeding on pork. ___________