THE DIVERSIFIED FARM. 



21 



as the best food to be obtained for cattle. They claim 

 or it superiority over hemp or rape seed for produc- 

 fing flesh on beef cattle, and equally as good for in- 

 creasing the supply of milk in milch cows. A Ger- 

 man farmer reports that he increased the flesh on an 

 ox three pounds per day by feeding on sunflower oil 

 cake. These people also hold it in high esteem as a 

 horse feed. They say it produces flesh and gives the 

 hair a lively, slick appearance. The dried cups are 

 fed to sheep, and the faulty seeds are used as feed 

 for barnyard fowls In many sections where wood is 

 scarce the stalks and shells are used as fuel, which 

 answers as a good substitute. The ash from the sun- 

 flower contains a large per cent, of potassium. Ex- 

 periments have proven that 1,000 pounds of dried 

 stalks yield 57 pounds of ash and from 1,000 pounds 

 of ash 350 pounds of the best potassium is obtained. 

 According to the analysis of chemists, the ash of the 

 sunflower contains about thirty per cent, of potassium, 

 and it is also claimed by these scientists that if the 

 soil is very rich, the plant will take up fifty per cent, 

 of potassium. The ashes are sold to soap makers. 

 From the fiber of the stalk is manufactured the 

 finest varieties of writing paper, which bears a close 

 resemblance in color and texture to parchment. 



CULTURE. 



Mr. Duncan, an extensive cotton planter in the 

 Mississippi bottom, who visited Russia last year for 

 the purpose of gaining information in regard to the 

 culture of the sunflower in that country, gives his 

 observation as follows: "The Russians who grow 

 the* plant generally sow the seed after a crop of wheat 

 and rye has been harvested from the land. Some sow 

 after oats and buckwheat, but have found it less 

 profitable to sow after the latter, as the buckwheat 

 takes up such a large per cent of potassium from the 

 soil that the flower does not pay. It thrives and 

 heads well after crops of rye and clover. The land 

 intended to be planted is thoroughly plowed in the 

 fall and left until the next spring, at which time the 

 seeds are sown, either in drills or broadcast. If in 

 rows, they are planted from twelve to twenty four 

 inches apart, depending largely on the fertility of the 

 soil. On some of the rich, black lands, they grow 

 from tour to six crops without resting the land." 



REFUSE AS MANURE. 



Mr. Duncan continues: "The Russians estimate 

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

 land, will manure the soil sufficiently to yield six or 

 more crops consecutively without additional fertiliz- 

 ing. The roots of the stalks soon rot in the ground 

 and leave about one ton of manure per acre in the 

 soil, which is very fine for the next crop. The plant 

 requires but little attention and labor after planting. 

 When it is about ten or twelve inches high, the soil 

 should be thoroughly cleaned of grass and weeds. 

 That is all that will be required until harvest. Har- 

 vest time varies according to soil, climate and expos- 

 ure of the flower to the sun. The usual time is fixed 

 from September 1 to October 15 When the seeds are 

 fully ripe, the heads of the flowers are cut from the 

 stalks and placed in drying sheds for the purpose of 

 curing them, the same as curing leaf tobacco. When 

 the flower is fully dry, the seeds are threshed from the 

 cups, and screened and run through a Ian mill, and 

 are then ready for the seed mill." 



In conclusion, Mr. Duncan says: " After carefully 

 examining every feature of this new and novel indus- 

 try, as conducted by the Russians, I am induced to 



believe that with our improved modes of farming, 

 together with our climate and soil, the cultivation of 

 the sunflower can be made one of the best paying 

 crops that the average American farmer can raise. 

 When we take into consideration the great saving of 

 labor and expense in producing the crop ready for 

 market, as compared with others, it is wonderful.'' 



ONION CULTURE BY IRRIGATION. 



IN response to inquiries from subscribers we take 

 pleasure in presenting the following excellent ac- 

 count of successful onion culture in central Wash- 

 ington, by W. W. Corbett. From similar methods 

 followed in the far southwest we have seen equally 

 satisfactory results. The irrigation of onions requires 

 careful handling, as water must not reach the bulbs; 

 therefore the grade of the onion ground must be reg- 

 ular in the extreme, of gentle grade, the little ditches 

 carefully formed, the water applied with extra care 

 and only in sufficient quantities to keep the soil from 

 drying. The quality of irrigation onions is of the 

 very best. Mr. Corbett's article is in the form of an 

 interview with a farmer on the famous "school sec- 

 tion" near Yakima. 



In response to the usual interrogatory as to his 

 "age"' in this county, Mr. Rock said "a little over four 

 years." 



"Have you been ranching all the timeV" 



"Yes; the first two years I was a renter. I came 

 from the Wolverine State and had much to learn, and 

 tried my hand before contracting for a purchase. 1 

 have been on the section for two seasons." 



"How many acres have you, and what kind of farm- 

 ing are you doing? " 



"I have nineteen acres, and am growing hops, al 

 falfa, potatoes, fruit and garden vegetables." 



"You have had considerable experience with on- 

 ions, I understand V" 



"Yes, I have grown them more or less as a sort of 

 specialty ever since I came here. Not so largely as 

 some others, however." 



"Will you plant onion seed this year?'' 



"Yes; I have always done well with the crop and 

 shall grow two acres this season." 



"What varieties do you prefer V 



"My principal planting will be the Danvers Yellow 

 and the Red Wethersfield, but I shall plant a small 

 space to each of Silver King atid Prize Taker, just to 

 see what they will do. Both are very large varieties 

 and will do well here.'' 



"What is your method of preparing the ground for 

 the crop ?" 



"I plow deeply, pulverize with a spring-tooth har- 

 row and finish up with a light harrow. In this way I 

 get a fine, mellow seed bed." 



"How do you put in the seed?" 



"With a Planet drill, using two pounds of seed to 

 the acre. The drills are fourteen inches apart, giving 

 plenty of room for cultivation. Mine is a hand 

 drill." 



"When do you plant?" 



"1 have begun already, and would advise any one 

 intending to grow onions to get at the seeding at 

 once. Now, when it is freezing more or less at night, 

 I use the drill only in the afternoon, when the ground 

 has softened, 1 ' 



"Is land that is entirely new adapted to the crop ?" 



"Certainly. In my own case I cleared the sage- 

 brush off and immediately put in the seed; the result 

 was entirely satisfactory." 



