8. Experiments on earliness and yield were started in order to find types well suited to the English climate. A number of varieties were tested in randomised blocks. The plants were sown in three lots. The variation within each lot was very small. Plants sown on April 17th and planted out in May were far the slowest, those sown on May 21st and planted out on June 14th were quicker and needed about two weeks less. Plants sown in the field on June 5th gained another seven days. The differences between the varieties were partly very significant. I am convinced that part of the failure in the cultivation of maize in Northern Europe is due to the fact that the seeds are sown too early and kept too long in pots.