MAIZE PRODUCTION

New Zealand Times, Volume LII, Issue 12211, 8 August 1925, Page 19

MAIZE PRODUCTION

POVERTY BAY LEADS NEW ZEALAND GOOD AVERAGE OBTAINED (Written for the "Times” by “Avro”) Up till recently, Poverty. Bay had stood pre-eminent in the' Dominion from the viewpoint of maize production, but from tlie returns for the f last, season it is apparent that Auckand now plants the largest area, although Poverty Bay still produces more maize, gaining the distinction of having the highest average production per acre for New Zealand. This may be largely” attributed to the splendid quality of the flats near Gisborne, Where crops have been taken from the same area year after year, without manuring, and where the average crop is seldom less than 60 bushels to the acre. That this is correct may be judged ftom the statistics for -the past season,' for they disclose the fact that the average production per acre in Poverty Bay was no less .than 59.3 bushels to the acre. The splendid quality of the land in that district is shown by the returns themselves. On 3780 acres, Poverty Bay produced 224,198 bushels of maize, while Auckland with 3987 acres produced only 167,120 bushels, irrespective of th'e quantity made into ensilage. .The average production in the Auckland district was 41.9 bushels to the acre, this being slightly below the Hawke’s Bay average of 48.2 bushels. Hawke’s Bay, however, produced a comparatively sijall quantity of maize, only 386 acres being planted. The average crop produced in New Zealand is still very much less than is should actually, be provided proper methods were < adopted by growers, and even in Poverty Bay it is only during the past two or three seasons that growers have commenced manuring the land on which they were growing their crops. 1 The Auckland district of course, includes Tauranga and the surrounding district, a portion of which is held to rival Poverty Day, m the matter . of maize production, and it is no doubt this area which assists the Auckland district in producing so large a quantity of maize. The North Auckland district also produces a fair quantity, growing 15,388 bushels on 410 acres. The average per acre, 37.5 bushels, while not particularly high, still shows what can be accomplished on light and moderately light country. The Wellington district produced hut a small quantity of maize during tho season, 25 acres being planted for threshing, and 55 acres being grown for ensilage. The avernge crop produced was only 25.5 bushels -to tn€J acre. Maize growing is practically unknown in the South Island, the climate heing unsuitable, and throughout the whole of the' island, only 63 acres were grown, thebulk of this heing used for ensilage. Every year more maize is being used for this purpose in certain areas, nlthough the average production for ensiluge has dropped considerably during the last season. Strangely enough, in Poverty Bay, which may aptly be described as the home of maize-growing in New Zealand, only 5 acres was grown for ensilage; and this valuable fodder is almost unknown. Auckland produced the largest quantity for ensilage, 1085 tons being grown for that purpose, and in Taranaki, where only a very small quantity is grown, 581 tons of ensilage were made. It is apparent that farmers there realise the value of the maize ensilage as a winter fodder, as do nlsct the fanners in the Wellington district. duel between a butcher and a farmer who was evidently buying for exhibition at important shows later on. Tho farmer won.