THE SUNFLOWER AS A SILAGE CROP. 



13 



binder with this loader attachment. A machine thus equipped re- 

 duces the hand labor to a minimum. 



Where the crop has lodged or a row binder is not available, the 

 sunflowers may be harvested with a sled to which knives have been 

 attached or with an ordinary corn knife (fig. 4). Either of these 

 methods of harvesting should be used only in an emergency. Many 

 farmers have reported that it is necessary to pay farm laborers 

 increased wages when such work is in progress. 



TIME TO CUT SUNFLOWERS. 



There has not been a sufficient number of experiments to determine 

 definitely the best stage of maturity at which to cut sunflowers for 

 silage. The Montana Agricultural Experiment Station {^^ p. 20- 

 21) conducted feeding experiments with two lots of silage; one from 



Fig. 4. — Cutting sunflowers for silage by liand. Tliis method sliould be used only when 

 the crop has been tangled by the wind or is too heavy for a row binder to handle. 



sunflowers cut early, when only 30 per cent of the plants were in 

 bloom, and the other lot from sunflowers cut later, when 90 per cent 

 of the plants were blooming. Unfortunately, no figures showing 

 the comparative yields of silage for the two methods are given, and 

 the results of the feeding test are not conclusive. The dairy cows 

 fed on the early-cut silage produced slightly less milk and butter 

 fat, but gained more in weight than those fed on the late-cut silage. 

 However, the cows fed the early-cut silage consumed a little more 

 silage and grain than those fed late-cut silage. The evidence, there- 

 fore, points to a slight advantage in the late cutting. The investi- 

 gators conclude that sunflowers should not be cut for silage until 50 

 to 60 per cent of the plants are in bloom, not only because of the 



