230 SOILING CROPS AND THE SILO. 



where soiling foods grow in such variety, is at least 

 well worthy of a fair trial in all those sections of 

 the United States which are possessed of fair adapta- 

 tion for producing it. 



The Sunflower. — The sunflower (Helianthiis 

 aiinmis) though not suitable for soiling food be- 

 cause of the woody character of the stems is some- 

 times grown to be made into silage. Like the 

 artichoke it is so well known that it will not be neces- 

 sary to describe it. The stems are so woody that 

 they are even considered unsuitable for being made 

 into silage, hence the heads only are used for that 

 purpose. Because of this and for the further reason 

 that the work of harvesting is tedious, as now prac- 

 tised, it is questionable if sunflowers will ever be 

 generally grown as a soiling crop. The difficulties 

 in the way of gathering the seed expeditiously will 

 deter many from even attempting to grow this plant 

 for any purpose notwithstanding the relatively large 

 yield of valuable food that a good crop produces. 

 The Russian is the favorite variety grown at present 

 in the United States. 



The sunflower is of wide distribution and may 

 be grown in a great variety of soils. The humus 

 soils of the prairie are well suited to its needs. It 

 has much power to grow under dry conditions. 



Sacaline. — Sacaline {Polygonum Saclialincnsc) 

 is a plant that is said to have originated in the island 

 of Saghalin in the Pacific and not far from the 

 coast of Asia. It resembles a shrub rather than 

 a forage plant in the form of its growth. By the 

 time the autumn arrives the stems that have not 

 been cut during the season are but little less woody. 



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