THE SUNFLOWER AS A SILAGE CROP. 9 



Texas Silver Queen, Black Giant, Mammoth Russian Giant, Com- 

 mon, Double California, and Silver and Gold, yielded in the order 

 named 10.63 to 4.87 tons per acre except the last-named variety, 

 which was tested only in 1895 and produced in that year at the 

 rate of 11.39 tons per acre. These same varieties were continued 

 under test in 1896, but a poor stand was obtained, and the year's 

 results therefore were not included in the averages. The seed for 

 these tests ordinarily was purchased from seed houses in the United 

 States. 



Notwithstanding the fact that some of these varieties made a 

 very good showing, most of them were discarded and only three, 

 the Black Giant, Mammoth Russian, and White Beauty, were grown 

 in subsequent years. In the report for 1897 this action is explained 

 as follows : "As some of these varieties, however, did not give satis- 

 factory results nearly all of them were dropped from the list." 

 Since a number of the seven varieties, such as the Helianthus glo- 

 hosus and Texas Silver Queen, made larger yields than any of the 

 varieties contained in the tests, it is evident that some consideration 

 other than the yield must have been responsible for the action of 

 the Ontario officials in discontinuing the tests of those varieties. 

 The average yield, green weight, of the varieties included in the 

 test for 16 years was Black Giant, 22.3; Mammoth Russian, 17.8; 

 and White Beauty, 16.5 tons per acre. 



The Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station conducted a va- 

 riety test of sunflowers in 1918, but this test developed quite largely 

 into a question of rust resistance.® The Mantica, develojjed by 

 Luther Burbank; the Kaeurpher, from South America; the Mam- 

 moth Russian; and the Double Mixed were tested. Of these va- 

 rieties the Kaeurpher was the only one which proved rust resistant. 

 More experimental work with varieties will have to be conducted 

 before a decision can be reached as to the best variety for silage 

 purposes. 



GROWING SUNFLOWERS FOR SILAGE. 



Only within the past decade have sunflowers been grown extensively 

 in the United States for silage. In growing the crop for this pur- 

 pose it iSj of course, important to use cultural methods that will 

 yield the largest tonnage. To attain this result it is usually neces- 

 sary to plant more thickly than where a seed crop is the object. 



The same treatment of the soil that prepares the surface for corn 

 planting will answer for sunflowers. The ground is usually plowed 

 in the spring and worked down with a spike-tooth harrow, or if fall 



Mich. Agr. Esp. Sta. Quar. Bul.„ v. 3, no. 3, Feb., 1920, p. 128-129. 

 79165°— 22 2 



