8 May, 1908.] Garden Notes. 



during the year. When yarding, and letting out of the vards, many men 

 are not careful to avoid crushing in gateways, and much harm is the re- 

 sult. 



The use of a veterinary syringe, immediately after special ewes have 

 lambed, or where laml>s have been taken awav bv force, is not common, 

 but no stud sheep man should be without a small one and lysol. British 

 breeds, especially Shropshires, when very fat as thev usually are, will go 

 off ver\- quickly with fever unless this i)recaution is taken. 



GARDEN NOTES. 



/. Croiiiii, Principal, School of H orticiiltiire, Burnley. 



The Sunflov^er. 



Helianthus — The Sunflower — is a genus containing about fifty species 

 of annual and perennial herbaceous plants, the whole of which are found 

 nati\"e in America, the majority occurring in \orth America. Most of 

 the species and their varieties are tall growing plants, producing large 

 flowers yellow in color in their ray florets, the disc florets varying in 

 the different varieties. The annual kinds are well known and popular 

 garden plants of easy culture and ornamental \alue ; among them are 

 many improved forms, of wh"ch the miniature sunflowers are possibly of 

 most value, producing as they do quantities of flowers of moderate or 

 small size that are very effective in the garden beds and useful for de- 

 corative purpo.ses as cut flowers. Among the perennial kinds are many 

 that are worthy of cultivation in any garden, the later raised florists' 

 varieties being especially fine. Double and single forms exist in both 

 the annual and perennial types, and although the coilour of the flowers is 

 uniformly yellow there is a deal of variation in the different groups or 

 varieties. 



The common sunflower (H rlianihus aunnus) is a plant of considerable 

 economic imj)ortance and is largely cultivated in Europe, Asia, and 

 America for its seeds. According to 7'//^ Agricnltnral Ledger. 1907, No. 

 i, an area of 216.000 acres is devoted to sunflower culture in Europe 

 alone, the average return being roundly stated at about 50 bushels of seeds 

 pec acre. In Russia where the sunflower is mcst extensively cultivated 

 the seeds are eaten, raw^ or cooked, or used for the extraction of oil which 

 is said to be excellent for table use, and may be substituted for salad or 

 olive oil for all domestic purposes. The .seeds are also of con.siderabIe 

 ^'alue a.s food for birds, and are largely used in America for fattening 

 poultry. The oil cake which remains after expression of the oil forms a 

 valuable cattle food, being of great nutritive value and easily digested, 

 while the leaves an.d stalks also possess highly nutritious properties. 



From data derived from experiments and analyses of the plant it is 

 evident that the sunflower requires a fertile soil, and that during cultiva- 

 tion it is also necessary to maintain the fertility of the soil upon which 

 the plant makes consideraltle drain. 'I'he large specimen photographed was 

 taken from a plot grown by Mr. C. H. Schult? of Epping, who grows 

 about a quarter of an acre of sunflowers every year for his fowls. Mr. 

 M. Comans of the Dairy Supervision Branch, who supplied the speci- 

 men, states that the plants were grown in light black soil, unmanured. 

 The .seed was sown about the end of September, the ground having been 

 fallowed about three months previously. 



