MAIZE GROWING.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1247, 2 October 1911, Page 10

MAIZE GROWING.

AS SUMMER PEED' FOR LAMBS. The president of tho Farmers' Union Conference (Mr. J.'G. Wilson) was persuaded towards the close of. tho"liist Dominion Conferonco to promise to preparo tui article on his experience of maizegrowing as a summer food for lambs, mid also to supply what information ho cotild of tho experienco of others. Tho artido appears in the latest number of the "Fanners' Union Advocate," and runs as under:— "Tho Maoris seem to have grown rbaizo ever since the seed was brought into tho country by the missionaries, which is going on for 100 years now. The Maoris grew it for tho cobs, and as they are a remarkably observant people they wero able to grow very abundant crops. . . Although the Maoris did not understand manures, they thoroughly understood the different soils, and Always selected the site of their pas on good land, generally on a river.' "Maize scema to lovo tho sandy silt usually found on 'holms' (Englisn) or 'haughs' (Scotch) en our rivers. Tho Maoris very soon changed t'Jioir cultivation paddocks, and after three years generally enclosed a new piece,' of which the potato patch formed part, and tho maizo generally followed, so they partly understood tho rotation of crops. . . . "At Opotiki, maizo has been the main • crop, and it has generally been looked ■upon as a hot-climate grain, the trouble of drying and threshing it—it requires a special machine—has always deterred tho farmers in other parts from using it in their rotation, but lately some have been growing it as a green food amongst their rape, to give the lambs a chango from tho highly' nitrogenous rape, the cause of rape, backs. , Having strong and vigorous roots, maize goes down in search of water, and grows wonderfully well in summer, but frost blackens its leaves. 'l'Jio great growth it'makes must,, of course, exhaust tho soil, and manure is essential to its proper growth. Experiments at Marton. "In tho experimental plots at Marton, Mr. Baylis, under whose supervision tho experiments are conducted, had planted about an acrc of'maize with a complete manure—superphosphate, sulphato of potash, and sulphate of ammonia, I• think, wero the forms used. Although'tho season was a very dry one, I was astonished to seo how it grew, after it had been cultivated once with tho horse-hoe. It was put in about the end of October, and camo up quickly. It is not safo to hariow it with tho ordinary harrows, as in the early stages it is easily broken off. Another part of the headland was down a little later, and this did not do quite bo well; in all there would be about acres. When it grew up there was a difficulty about utilising it, for there were somo experimental plots which Mr. Baylis did not'want'eaten. It was away froiA my house, so' I could not feed it to the cows. As the season was so dry, I gave the feeding of the oat stubblo to my ron, who sent up 400 purebred hoggets. Tho hoggets first ate all tltfs stubble out, and I suggested they should cart tho maizo out to the stubblo and feed it to them. This tlicy did. Tho stage at which it was begun to feed was when the tassel was well out, and tho lainbs ato most of it up, leaving only a small part of the stalk. "As timo went on, the cobs began to form, and as they did so tho lambs took to the cobs with avidity, but left a littlo of the stalk. When the cob got what is known as glazed t'liey ate every bit of the cob but left moro of the stalk, eating only the leaves. Tho paddocks in which tho hoggets fed was tare stubble, and they wero fed twice a day. The lambs did remarkably well, tho 1J acres kept • them in this way for six weeks. They began to go off a little at tho very last, and were taken oft and put on fair grass. After they had been about a fortnight on tho grass, when examined in the shed tho wool was frea and glossy, and the lambs looked really well. It seemed to mo, therefore, although the expeuso of feeding was considerable, that it paid very well, for during tho height of tho dry season the lambs got a nice bite of green feed. Other Experience. "I have tried. to gather the experience of others on' this lamb fe'edirig oiVmaizo alone;: but very few have used it exclusively. 'Mr. Hunt, of Rongotea, grow a considerable area for his cows for summer feed and began to cut it very early. The maize sprouted again and grew a liico aftermath. As he was short of feed for his lambs ho turned them on to this to feed. They ato it well, biit he thought that although they grew well tlioy did not fatten ninth on it. (Aftermath in most cases does not fatten so well 'as the first growth.) I heard through a buyer of lambs that a client had 70 lambs left and had no more feed. He bought from a neighbour an acre of grosn maizo and turned them on to it. They did well, and Roomed to eat tho standing stalks quito readily. Fifty of tho lainbs wero fat when tho buyer camo to pick them. "Mr. Dalyrmple, who has grown maizo for a number of years now, amongst his land he grows it on Ts good nlluvial flat—says that ho had 2 acres of maize in the paddock of rape. When Jie tiinied 400 lambs into it, tho lambs scarcely touched the rapo until they had eaten tho maize. It. was just in flower when they were put in the paddock. The general practico now is to sow the maize by itself, and not in amongst the rape. On tho harder land, the maize was really a failure as to growth. Then it was broadcast in a rapo paddock. It requires a good deal of manure on the very rich alluvial land. The lambs cat the maizo quite well when turned on to the standing crop, although sometimes it is four or five feet high. Experiments at Weraroa. "When I was last at Weraroa Experimental Farm, I found in the dry weather every animal on the place was 'being fed on maize. I wrote asking 11 r. I)ry?dale his experience, aud this he gives in tho following. (When I saw the crop it was more like a forest than anything else, being 10ft. to 12ft. high.) "A small experiment was carried out last season for topping olf lambs and old owes. This proved very satisfactory, and further experiments will be carried out this season. Four acres were sown in October with maizo, rape, and Italian rye. Wo seldom have to record frosts in October and November, that would check the growth of maize. In the eurlv stago tho maizo seemed to outgrow the rape and it was feared that good results could not be gained from those grown together. After a time, the maize began to stool out, thus allowing the rapo to come on equal terms for feeding. The sheop were put on early in December At the first feeding, the maize was eaten in preference to the rape. This could only be expected as all stock aro fond of maize, particularly in the earlier stages of growth. At tho second feeding, the sheep' preferred tho rape. This might bo ac■minted for. as the interval was too short to allow tho maize to make a second growth, the sheep having to bo put on to keep the rapo from getting too far advanced. Will Make a Second Growth. "It may not be generally known that maizo will m;iko a second' growth after feeding off. If fed -in tho early stages the second growth will produce a largo amount of feed. We have had maize in tho early stages cut down by frost, and afterwards recovered and made good growth, producing a heavy crop. . It has been dccided to carry out" further experiments in this direction this season. , To get the best results, it is most ossontial that tho land should ho of good quality. To ;-,ow in poor siril or land that lias been over-cropped, would bo a waste nt' labour and of seed. Thorough cultivation is also important that, not otly tho soil should bo worked up into a fine tilth, but also bo entirely free from weeds. "There is no doubt that apart from any special variety, good soil and ci Hivation will assist and improve to a gieat extent ' the feodum qualities. Not being able to give an anlysis of the different v.irioties, I would recommend the sawing of Iho most vigorous growers, apjut fi-nm the analysis th>« to a great, 'xlent will have to be taken into consideration. !lhc firsi towing should be made uinut the (lid of i

September, weather conditions boiug favourable, ov as early in October as possible. i''or fording a largo area with sheep it would be too expensive to sow ill wide rows to allow for cultivation. If sown through every second coulter cf the Drill shwer, plenty of room would he alliv-ed for tJio plant, seeing that tho crop was to 1)3 fed off in the early st,r.;o Sow from two to tlirco bushels per acre.. This would depend on the size 'f t'.jo grain, some varieties being larger than others. "On most soiis, superphosphates would give the best results, about from two to three cwt. per aero sown with tho grain. Sow about two inches deep, and roll aftcrwurds. The varieties 1 wnild recommend to sow as vigorous growers arc: 'Red Hogan,' 'Clarenco Wtnder,' 'Flat Red Maize,' 'Large Yellow Moraguo Maize.' "The quantities used in tho experiment wnre: Maize 201b.; rope, lib.; Italian Tyo, 101b." Mr. Wilson is still going into the qne» fclon, and hopes to supply further, informaticai at an early date.