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WEEKLY AGRICULTURAL
REPORT.
The cold weather that prevailed during the
earlier part of the past week was not very
favourable for the growth of the crops, espe
cially as in some places the intense cold of the
previous few weeks had a'deterrent effect upon
them. However, the climatic conditions are
now more favourable, and a glance at,the fields
around the district would.impress the'Observer
very greatly as to the good prospects, for the
next harvest. We learn from an exchange that
■the-heavy frosts in the VVerribeediatriot have
partially stopped the growth of the crops in
that quarter. *
: “In 'treating of fodder crops lately at Ade :
laide; the professor, of agriculture did, little
more: than allude in a passing manner to
maize;' he justly observed that it deserved
more attention .than it was receiving, and
circumstances have combined to prove that
to this colony also bis remark would forcibly
apply. . Owing to a partial failure of the
maize crop in New South Wales, a kind of
scarcity—almost * a famine—of stuffs
has' been experienced: in Victoria. - Cab and
omnibus proprietors , have discovered that oats
alone will not maintain'’ horaesia'condition. at
less than nearly- double ; the. cost, of maize.
Whilst oats are the most health*giving' feed
for horses, the addition of a little maize
makes them go much further, and-at a very
slight extra coat. Maize alone is too heating
and. fat-forming; in .fattening pigs in sties
maiz9~and barley meal together are v bet'cer
than-either alone. A Überal supply of maize
is, therefore,, at matter of importance to
farmers who fatten pigs, and it is hot of less
value to dairy farmers, a few handfuls of
meal with the chaff being a substantial
Help to the milk pail both in point of quantity
and quality/ ' There is, however, another way
of feeding pigs on maize alone,' wliiob, as
recently mentioned in, these • columns is
a profitable method of utilising the
crop. The pigs, are allowed to help them*
selves is* the field, and thus they are not
only prepared for the butcher, but by con
suming the whole crop upon the ground the
latter is manured, and the next crop'of ’maize
is much heavier than the. preceding one.
This system of ’ feeding-off is managed in
much .the same way ;as, the, turnip crop is
done in Eoglabd by sheep.' A daily bitch of
the hurdles is given, and thus., the whole pi
the .crop is .regularly consumed, and the
ground-t'is perfectly manured.' What ii
wanted, however, is not the culture of maize
for pigs only, but more for
the market. It is astonishing that with the
experience of New South Wales before them,
farmers in suitable parts, of Victoria have not
entered more freely-into the culture of this
crop. No doubt the experience of the past'and
the presentseaaon- will stimulate Qippsland
farmers to extend the area of their maizs
crops. Many of them must, within the ..last
few- weeks, have more than realised theft
at the planting season, for the;
have-bean “selling, good crops at high rates;
they, have learnt, that Gippsland will grow
.maize in large ,quantity, and of as; good
quality as can be gob elsew*here. Some of
the yields;in that part, as:'disclosed?.in' local
returns, have ranged up to quite 70 bushels
per acre.,}} Immeoao.cobs Have reached-Mel
bourne as samples, and they are true sample*
too; for they represent a large portion of. the
bulk. Seeing that maize grows so well in
Gippsland,: it would; be good policy ;,oi
farmers in that part of the colony to enter on
its culture : systematically,harvesting a por
tion and feeding off-the balance in rotation
each year, and thus maintaining the fertility
of the soil, and poeaibly/as some hove done
.In. New. South rWalee, augmenting the yield
considerably. To recommend dr to ’ adopt
maize culture in the arid districts would be
un wieeuntil means of applying water by gravi*
tation have been provided. In. the dry dis
tricts the crop is often spoiled by' tbe occur*
rence of hot winds with drought in the
soil at the critical time at which tbe plant is in
bloom; blind cobs being the natural result. It
is.the greater humidity of the climate of New
South.WalsMbat has enabled farmers to.grow
maiz* there, whilst in bur owu warm districts
attempts to do so profitably have failed. It
is-, well -to .understand that maize is an ex
haustive cropland that if it is h’arVested each
year, a return, must be made of manure—and
that In no stinted quantity—to the soil. In
tuggesting, then,' that maize~>hoiildreceive
moroattention.tbanit.haa hitherto done at
the bands-of farmers, let it be expressly un
derstood that we do.su with this reservation,
namely, that the intending grower either
possesses suitable climate and soil to .insure
the success-of.his venture, or that he possesses
tbe means of supplying .the requirements
of plant,at..thejrying season of...the year,
Where sheep are .kept their services may .be
usefully'employed in maintaining the fertility
of the soil.' An autumn or winter green crop
may .be grown and fed off in time fur plough
ing to commence at this date and be pro*
ceeded with as each strip is cleared until the
whole is done. .It, is . undesirable to. have
the whole of the maize crop ripe at .once,.the
harvesting being a rather slow process,'and
piie .involving the use of. a great deal of
manual. labour,. Even.when. the. crop is in*
tended to be fed off on tbe ground it is desii*
able to have it come gradually forward,
neither tbe straw nor tbe dorp being so readily
eaten by tbe stock, when.they are quite ripe.
The straw should, indeed, be green and succu
lent,and-the’grain should-nut have quite lost
the milk. In feeding grains to cows this 'll
also, the proper condition; for this method of
utilising the crop it should be put through .a
ebaffeutter. Tbe more general -use 'of
mechanical substitutes for band labour has
led td/considerable. changes in the: system of
growing maize, even in America; Horse*
power and tbe drill are now..the;recbguised
method of sowing maize. The drills are
made to deposit the seed certain intervale,
so that little or ho waste occurs. Similar drills
were at one time in "use in'England for. ‘ dib*
bliog* beans instead of doing it by hand. In
America, too, we note..that guano of.tbe most
nitrogenous, kind is found to be the best
artificial-manure' for ’maize, but tbat.it is the
moat effective when jemployed in'Coo junction
with green manuring or with a dressing of
farm-yard manure.'*— Australasian,
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