252 



THE CANADIAN H0RTICULTUEI8T. 



delayed is no trifling loss. A hundred 

 trees can be set at a cost of ten to 

 twenty dollars, or for almost no cost, 

 if one has spare time and the saplings 

 are easily available. These may in ten 

 to fifteen years grow to be worth three 

 to ten dollars apiece for needed timber 

 and fuel, or for the fruit or nuts pro- 

 duced. 



It would be greatly to the advantage 

 of the country, its climate, and its beau- 

 ty, if the sides of our public highways 

 generally were planted with trees that 

 furnished shade and ornament while 

 growing, and supply at no distant period 

 wood for various purposes. Some years 

 before they mature sufficiently to be cut 

 down for use, new plantings alternating 

 with the older trees can be coming for- 

 ward to take their places, or slow and 

 quick-growing varieties may be set, so 

 that when the latter are removed the 

 former will be large enouofh to soon fill 

 the gaps. It is desireable, however, to 

 have together those that somewhat re- 

 semble each other in form at the top. 

 We have in mind a broad street, 

 ninety feet wide, where twenty-five to 

 thirty years ago various oaks were set, 

 thirty to forty feet apart, ten feet from 

 the outside, and between these, in a line 

 with them, quick-growing maples were 

 planted. Recently the maples were all 

 removed, furnishing a cord of wood a- 

 piece, with considerable useful timber, 

 and the oaks now stand in two beauti- 

 ful rows. 



As to loss of land from spreading 

 roots and from shade, if planted a few 

 feet from the fence, the roots can be 

 kept from the crops by a deep furrow 

 along the inside of the fence every year 

 or two, and the shade will not be a seri- 

 ous detriment — none at all from trees 

 on the south side of roads running east- 

 erly and westerly. Those on the north- 

 erly side of the road furnish a very de- 

 sirable shade to animals in the adjoin- 

 ing pastures. 



OIL FROM SUNFLOWER SEEDS. 



The sunflower has long been grown 

 for its oil seeds in Russia and India, and 

 the cultivation has been more recently 

 taken up in Germany and Italy. The 

 plant grows readily in most soils, but 

 prefers light, rich, calcareous land, un- 

 shaded by trees. In Russia the seed is 

 drilled into lines 1 8 inches apart, and 

 the plants are thinned out to 30 inches 

 apart in the rows, thus giving about 

 11, 000 plants in an acre. The quantity 

 of seed required for an acre is four to 

 six pounds, and the sowing takes place 

 in September — October, the crop being 

 ready to harvest in February. In Eng- 

 land it is recommended to be planted 6 

 inches apart and 1 inch deep, and to be 

 earthed up when 1 foot high, requiring 

 no subsequent attention. The yield of 

 seed is much increased by topping the 

 plants, and the best fertilizer is old 

 mortar. Each plant produces about 

 1,000 seeds, chiefly on the main head. 



Experimental culture in France gave 

 a return of 1,778 pounds of seed, yield- 

 ing 15 per cent of oil (275 pounds), and 

 80 per cent of cake, from an acre ; but 

 the product varies considerably accord- 

 ing to soil, climate, and cultivation, and 

 the average may be roundly stated at 

 50 bushels of seed from an acre, I gal. 

 of oil from 1 bushel of seed. The per- 

 centage of oil to seed ranges from 1 6 to 

 28 ; and that of husk to kernel from 41 

 to 60. 



The Italian cultivation is confined to 

 the neighborhood of Piove and Con- 

 egliano, in Venetia. In Russia the 

 plant is most extensively grown in 

 Kielce and Podolia, and the district of 

 Birutch, in Yoronej ; the production of 

 seed is now estimated at 8,000,000 

 poods (of 36 pounds), from an area of 

 80,00 dessatines ^of 13,067 square 

 yards). In Tartary and China it is 

 cultivated in immense quantities, but 

 no actual statistics are available. In 



