23 



with seeds would not furnish an ensilage as rich in albuminoids as that from beans, 

 yet in this respect it would be considerably more valuable than that from corn alone. 

 In fat, however, the ensilage is very much richer than that of either corn or beans. 

 Granting that the fiberof the heads with seeds is fairly digestible, the indications are 

 that a well-balanced and nutritious ensilage may be made by mixing the three crops 

 corn, beans, and sunflower heads with seeds in the silo. The first would supply the 

 large bulk of the carbohydrates, the second, the albuminoids chiefly, and the last, 

 fat and albuminoids. 



SUNFLOWERS FOR ENSILAGE. 



In the report of the Canadian Experimental Farms for 1893 (on page 

 337) is found a statement of the results of experimental work with 

 sunflowers for that year, which is as follows: 



Five pounds of Giant Russian Sunflower seed was sown in May. It was sown at 

 the rate of nearly 10 pounds per acre with a Planet, jr., seed drill in rows 3 feet apart, 

 and thinned when about a foot high to about 12 inches in the row. 



On October 16 and 17 the heads were taken off to mix with the corn in the silo. 

 The weight of heads produced was 9, 690 pounds, or at the rate of over 8 tons per acre. 



In the same report, the agriculturist, in connection with the chemist 

 of the station, described an ensilage in which the sunflower heads and 

 seeds were a component part. The sunflower heads with seeds em- 

 ployed in the making of the ensilage were the same as given in the 

 preceding table. 



In the series of feeding experiments on dairy cows with corn ensi- 

 lage alone, and with a mixture of corn ensilage and sunflower heads, it 

 was found that although the milk obtained with the mixture contain- 

 ing sunflower heads had a slightly less percentage of fat, the amount 

 of butter recovered was slightly greater. The butter made from both 

 systems of feeding, when examined, showed that that made from the 

 feed containing sunflower was of a richer flavor and of a higher color 

 than the other. The directions for growing the materials for the ensi- 

 lage and making the ensilage of the Robertson mixture, as given to the 

 Canadian farmers, are as follows: 



Soil. If a field with a drained, warm, loamy soil be convenient to the silo, and 

 can be used, it should be selected in preference to a heavy clay or wet soil. In all 

 cases, the land should receive a liberal dressing of manure, be plowed in the spring, 

 and be harrowed to a state of fine tilth before the seeds are planted. 



Time to plant. The time at which indian corn for fodder may be planted with the 

 best results is the best time at which to plant or sow these seeds also. In most dis- 

 tricts that period is during the last ten days of May, or late enough in the season to 

 escape frosts at night, and early enough to give the plants the advantage of as long a 

 season for growing as is practicable. The horse beans and sunflowers are less liable 

 to injury from frost than indian corn. 



How to plant. The indian corn and horse beans (which have been mixed) are to be 

 planted in rows 3 feet apart, with from 2 to 4 grains per linear foot in every row. A 

 horsepower corn planter or seed drill may be used for that purpose, or they may 

 be planted in hills 3 feet apart both ways, with from 6 to 10 grains in every hill, A 

 horsepower or hand corn planter may be used. If none of these implements and no 

 other suitable planter be available, furrows 3 inches deep may be plowed 3 feet 



