10 Oct., 1918.] The Sunflower. 621 



According to the latest American census tlie total area of cultivated 

 sunflower was 4,731 acres, whicli yielded 63,677 bushels of seed ; Illinois, 

 with 3,979 acres, produced most of the crop, viz., 49,064 bushels. 



Cultivation and Harvesting. 



In growing sunflowers for oil production, those varieties producing 

 medium-sized seeds in thin shining husks are the best to sow, as seeds of 

 the very large-growing varieties are pithy inside, and absorb a large 

 portion of oil when pressed. The latter kind, however, make excellent 

 feed for poultry and cattle. The three principal varieties of sunflower 

 now cultivated are : — 



1. Those having large white seeds and producing a good percent- 



age of oil. 



2. A smaller black-seeded kind, the seeds of which are sweeter and 



regarded as best for eating in Russia. 



3. An intermediate sort, with striped seeds, which is an excellent 



oil producer. 

 The seeds may be grown any time between October and January, 

 about 8 lbs. to the acre being required. The Russians, who cultivate the 

 sunflower extensively, sow the seed generally after a crop of wheat has 

 been harvested from the land. The land intended to be planted should 

 be thoroughly ploughed in the autumn and left until the next spring, 

 when the seeds should be sown. On some of the rich black lands from 

 four to six crops are grown without resting the land. It is stated in 

 Russia that the stalks and leaves of one crop, if left on the land, will 

 manure the soil sufiiciently to yield six more crops consecutively, without 

 additional fertilizing. The roots of the stalks soon rot in the ground, 

 and leave about one ton of manure per acre in the soil. In the warmer 

 parts of Australia, two consecutive crops could be grown on the same 

 land, provided that the soil is suitable. To obtain the best results, sun- 

 flowers should be sown in drills 3 feet apart to admit of cultivation, and 

 when the plants are about 9 to 12 inches high they may be thinned out 

 to a distance of 12, 18, 24 inches, according to the variety. In light 

 soils it is advisable to sow the seed 2 to 3 inches deep, so that it may 

 obtain sufiicient moisture to permit it to germinate; in heavy soils it 

 should not be sown too deeply. In favorable weather germination will 

 readily take place, and the seedlings will soon appear above ground. 

 When the plants are well discernable in the rows, it will be advisable 

 to put a scarifier over the ground to prevent the growth of weeds. This 

 operation should be occasionally repeated until the plants are about 

 18 inches high, and from then they will require little or no attention 

 until harvest time. When the seeds have become quite ripe they are so 

 thickly set that as many as 1,000 or 2,000 find place in a single head. 

 They are slightly wedge-shaped, and vary in colour, some being quite 

 black, whilst others are grey or white-streaked with black. When 

 matured, the heads should be cut off the stems, and laid on a floor or any 

 clean, hardened surface which is exposed to the sun. The seed heads 

 should not lie too thickly, and they should be turned over occasionally 

 and protected from rain and heavy dews. In ordinary summer weather, 

 not many days will be required to dry the heads sufiiciently to enable 

 the seed to be separated from them. After the seeds have been 

 thoroughly dried and cleaned by winnowing, &c., they may be stored in 



