230 



FARM CROPS 



are stripped off and the first and sometimes the 

 second of the upper joints removed. The yield of 

 sugar cane varies from lo to 50 tons to the acre and 

 the amount of sugar in a ton of cane from 100 to 

 300 pounds, . besides a considerable amount of 

 molasses. The sugar from the cane may be manu- 

 factured on a small scale and with comparatively 

 simple machinery. For the economical production 

 of sugar of the best quality an expensive plant is 

 necessary 



SUNFLOWER.— A native annual from 8 to 20 

 feet high with heads from 8 to 16 inches in diameter. 

 The seed is gray, brown or striped. In growing a 

 crop of sunflower the land should be prepared as 

 for corn. The seed is placed in drills 2 or 3 inches 

 deep, about 3 feet apart and about 15 pounds of 

 seed to the acre. When the plants are from 6 to 8 

 inches high the rows should be thinned, leaving one 

 stalk to about 16 inches on an average. Slight 

 frosts do not injure the plants and maturity of the 

 crop is generally reached. The sunflower heads 

 should be harvested before the seed is fully ripe 

 else much will be shattered out and lost. 



When thoroughly dry the heads are beaten out 

 with a flail. Seed may be stored in small bins or, 

 barrels. Avoid a large quantity in one place or bin 

 in order to prevent heating. From 750 to 900 

 pounds of seed are obtained from an acre with the 

 price running from 3 to 4 cents a pound. The seeds 

 are used for different purposes; for making oil, for 

 bird and poultry seed and for stock feed. Very 

 often the sunflower heads are mixed with corn for 

 silage, and they make a very superior feed. Butter 

 resulting from this kind of feed is of rich flavor and 

 of high color. The Mammoth Russian is an im- 



