THE MAIZE CROP.

Waikato Times, Volume 103, Issue 17384, 21 April 1928, Page 22 (Supplement)

THE MAIZE CROP.

POINTS IN HARVESTING. METHODS OP IMPROVEMENT. SEED SELECTION IMPORTANT. (By "Practical.") n. In my previous article in these columns of Saturday last,, attention was drawn to cultivation, manuring and sowing of the maize crop—all important matters to secure a gooa yield. The time to harvest maize is when the kernels are fully glazed and practically maiture. Then one will find that the crop will as nearly as possible approximate the maximum yield without sacrificing payability, and present a condition when the material may be stored with the minimum danger of "moulding." At this stage the fully developed cob has dropped and is now pointing down; the outer husks and the leaves below the ear have turned yellow, but are not perfectly dry. After lying in the open for about five davs, the cobs are stored in cribs, which allow of a free access of air from the sides and underneath. When feeding to stock, sheep may be turned on to the field, but in the case Of cattle it is as well to cut and cart out, otherwise considerable wastage takes place through the trampling of stock. When fed directly to stock, cow peas, vetches or rape may be sown between the rows to advantage, and the crop allowed to attain a height of at least three feet. For ensilage a quick-growing variety with heavy foliage and stalk, such as Hickory King, is the most desirable. It should bo cut when the ears are beginning to glaze and when indentations are'well marked. Silage is better than cured fodder, for field curing decreases digestibility of some substances, while the action of bacteria under favourable conditions in'the silo renders them more digestible.' It should be cut' into about hair-inch lengths, as this enables it to be compacted ill the silo so as to exclude air and hence prevent danger of loss.

Picking Good Seed.

Tt is in the selection of his seed thai the farmer, up to the present, has shown his ignorance of the quality of good maize seed. In sowing seed, it is desirable that maize of the same variety should be planted togefher in the field. Different varieties (e?g., early and late) should not be mixed and* planted, as this leads to barren stalks owing to part of the maize flowering earlier than another part, and hence the pollen has disappeared before the silks of the later varieties are ready to receive it. Having taken this factor into consideration, the seed maize for the following year should be selected from the cobs in the paddock and not in the crib, and care should be taken not to select cobs growing under abnormal conditions, as such cobs seldom transmit their good qualities to the next crop. The cobs selected should be marked with paint and placed in a separate receptacle in the waggon when the crop is being gathered. The selection should be made in respect to stand, vigour of plant and productivity, colour and shape of ear. These points are stressed by Mr P. Gallagher in dealing''with selection. The extra labour involved in selecting good seed well repays the grower in succeeding crops. All seed should be tested before sowing by being germinated in moist sand; all good lines will have a 95-100 per cent germination within seven days. The judging of corn gives the farmer the best opportunity for a fair estimation of the value of an.car of corn.

Maize, like live stock, has certain outstanding features characteristic of the variety, and by making a study of these features one is soon enabled to select good corn, and hence increase his yield for his own as well as the country's benefit.' Corn may be improved in two ways: (1) By the selection of the best ears for seed from the best stalks in the field; (2) by selecting the best ears from the bes£. rows in a field, each row of which has been planted with seed from a single ear. These two methods can be practised by any farmer. In estimating the value of the ears for grain, one required a knowledge of the parts of an ear, an appreciation of quality in maize characters, and particularly a knowledge of varieties, for valuable points in one variety may be detrimental in another.

Points in Judging Maize.

The general characters of good maize are determined as follows: —> 1. Trueness to type and breed. The maize should conform to the standard for the, type and breed in form of kernel, shape of ear, indentations, and colour of grains.

2. Shape of ear: In general the shape should he cylindrical because this shape allows the development of uniform deep kernels from hutt to tip. 3. Colour of grain and cob: Colour should be true to the variety and free from missing or discoloured kernels. The colour of the cob should be bright cherry red for yellow corn and pure white for white corn. 4. Tips and butts: The kernels should extend over the tip and butt'in regular rows and be uniform in size and shape. A perfect tip has a central kernel called the cap, which is completely surrounded with uniform kernels. Faulty tips are usually an indication of irregularity in maturity of the parts of an ear. The kernels about the shank should stand out, so that when the ear is broken from the shank a small hollow or receptacle Is left. U corn comes ia too close on

the shank, the ears may drop off the stalk during the ripening period and not fully mature. Usually butt and tip kernels are rejeoted for planting as they are not uniform and, being round, they interfere with the planting. Further they are weaker in germination and more tardy in growth than kernels from the middle of the ear. If not fully developed at the tips the car is inclined to stand out when ripened (instead of turning down), thus allowing rain to collect and very often germinate the kernels nearby, with a resultant loss in yield.

5. Kernels: These should be alike in size, shape and colour, with the exception of the egg-shaped rounded tip. The thickness should be about half the width, and the kernels should have a large, well-developed germ. The ideal is the wedge-shaped. Kernels of irregular size are wholly unfit for seed, as no machine will plant kernels of this type so as to get a uniform stand.

6. Length and circumference of ear: A good ear should be about 10 inches long and about three-quarters the length in circumference. The former is measured from the extreme butt to the extreme tip, and the circumference by measuring the car at onethird the distance from butt to tip.

7. Spaces between rows and kernels: The furrows between rows should be straight with uniform space between the kernels at the crown. No space should be, noticeable at the tips near where they arc attached to the cobs. The furrow or groove should not be deep, but merely mark the dividing line between the kernels from butt to tip. 8. Rows: There should be from 16 to 20 rows on the car, these preferably straight, with the minimum of space between them. In conclusion, one would Like to add that it is only with the aid and cooperation of the farmer that the present average yield of 40 bushels per acre can be increased to 100 bushels, and thus brought into line with the high returns secured from''many other farm products. That is what the Department of Agriculture is aiming at, and in a few seasons substantial improvement should follow continued effort.