CROPS SUITABLE FOR THE SILO. 335 



but experimenters to ever try to preserve rape 

 in the silo. 



The Sunflower. — The growing of sunflowers Lo 

 be made into silage along with corn has been advo- 

 cated by some high authorities and has been practiced 

 to a very limited extent by farmers in some sections 

 of Ontario. The object sought is to so increase the 

 feeding value of the silage that the complement of 

 grain to be added to the same when it is fed can be 

 materially lessened. The sunflowers are grown in 

 rows and cultivated much after the fashion of corn. 

 The heads only are used. They are gathered, run 

 through a cutting box and mixed with corn while 

 the silo is being filled. 



Large yields of heads have thus been obtained, 

 as high in some instances as eight tons per acre. But 

 it would seem questionable if this plant will ever be 

 extensively grown for such a use and for the follow- 

 ing reasons: — i. The labor of gathering the heads 

 is considerable. It must be done by hand. 2, The 

 stalks which require much plant food to grow them 

 have no feeding value. 3, They also cumber the 

 land and involve extra labor in removing them, for 

 which there would seem to be no adequate compensa- 

 tion unless when they can be used as fuel. 



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