MAIZE.

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume 3, Issue 5, 15 November 1911, Page 403

MAIZE.

PLANTING FOR GREEN FEED.

J. Drysdale.

In growing maize the first consideration should be to select good land —new land if possible, well sheltered from the prevailing wind. To get the best results it is most essential that the land should be of good quality. To sow in poor soil or land that has been overcropped would be a waste of time and labour.

I would recommend the sowing of the medium early varieties, such as Clarence Wonder, Large Yellow Morgane, Ninety Days, and Red Hogan. As regards analysis, it has been arranged to have analyses made of a large number of varieties this season, and next season we shall be in a position to give feeding-values of these. With regard to dates of sowing, I would recommend the first sowing to be made early in October ; further sowings at intervals up to January. This would allow the maize to be fed during the whole season at about the same stage, and would also give the small farmer an opportunity of preparing his ground in small sections, so that his land would be in better form for producing a good crop. Maize being a vigorous grower under favourable conditions —such as good soil, well worked and free from weeds, with a liberal application of manure —it will not give the weeds a chance to grow, thereby doing away with the necessity of wide sowing, . when scarifying or cultivating is imperative. On the other hand, if the soil is of poor medium quality and good cultivation neglected the growth will be much slower, thus allowing the weeds to make headway and retard the growth of the plant. Scarifying and cultivation under these ' conditions are a necessity. To enable scarifying to be carried out the rows should be at least 2 ft. 6 in. apart. The corn could be sown with the ordinary grain-drill, shutting up the required number of coulters to get the proper width. With close sowing the grain could be sown out of every second coulter: this would be 14 in. wide. Under favourable conditions as mentioned above close sowing will give the heaviest yield per acre ; but in regard to feeding-value this can only be determined by analysing the same variety, close versus wide sowing. This will also be undertaken at Weraroa this year.

The influence of various fodders upon the quality of milk produced will require careful investigation. With the number of varieties on the

market, and the absence of analyses of varieties with regard to feedingvalue, it is a difficult matter to advise as to the most profitable. varieties to sow. There are recognized early varieties and late varieties. It is not necessarily important in all cases that early varieties should be sown if it can be found that late varieties give a larger feeding-value per acre. The greater number of late varieties will be at a feeding stage before the season would call for artificial feeding. If sown in the middle of October this would allow twelve weeks before required for feeding purposes. We have found Red Hogan and Yellow Morgan e, although recognized as late varieties, when sown in October have grown to the proper stage for green fodder early in January.

- I recognize that it is most important for the farmer that a few only of the best varieties should be recommended, as it is difficult and expensive to procure many early and late varieties of maize. The sowing of the most vigorous growers, apart from the analysis, will to a great extent have to' be taken into consideration.

To obtain the best results of feeding maize as green fodder it would be a mistake to allow it to become too . far advanced. Maize should be fed in the early stages, some time before coming into flower. The stems are then juicy and sweet, and are eaten greedily by all stock without any waste. If allowed to cob before feeding the succulence departs,, and the stems becoming dry and woody are rejected by the stock. Although it is recognized that the cobs in the early stage possess a great amount of nutrition, it does not counterbalance the loss of about 75 per cent, of the fodder, as would be the case in allowing to. cob. On the other hand, if maize is grown for the purpose of converting into ensilage, the cob stage is the right time to cut.

During the last six years Victoria has increased its sheep flocks by 2,040,875 head and its horses by 79,843. Its dairy cattle in the same period, notwithstanding the high percentage lost in the drought a few years back, increased by 147,165, but its beef cattle fell away by 54,815.

Among the exhibits which attract the attention of the visitor to the Roubaix Exhibition, that of New Zealand-is worthy of distinction. The English colonies omit no opportunty of displaying the superiority of the methods they employ for supplying the metropolis with chilled, and frozen meats. Let us remark by the way that our largest colony, Algeria, has not yet provided freezing-works and ships fitted with insulated chambers for the transport of mutton. The trials made in the year 1905 ought shortly to be renewed.—A’ Hygiene de la Viande et du Lait, 10th September, 1911.