September, 1908.] 



213 



OILS AND FATS. 



THE SUNFLOWER. 



A Useful Plant. 



In 1906 we produced, in Natal, 1,136 

 muids of sunflower seeds, from a total 

 area of 191 acres, Of these 1,136 muids 

 212 were produced in the Lower Umzim- 

 kulu Division, 233 in the Division of 

 Alexandra, and 160 in the Upper Urn- 

 komauzi Division, the balance being 

 scattered generally over most of the 

 remaining Magisterial Divisions of the 

 Colony. The sunflower grows fairly 

 well in most parts of the Colony, the 

 conditions essential for its successful 

 cultivation being, generally speaking, 

 very similar to those required by maize. 

 It is, however, not regarded as a staple 

 or major crop ; it is, nevertheless, found 

 a useful accessory in mixed farming. 



Very little has so far been done, so far 

 as our observations go, in the cultivation 

 of the sunflower in Natal on a commer- 

 cial scale. Here, in our very midst, a 

 market exists for large quantities of the 

 seed for the expression of its oil for 

 soap-making and other purposes, so that 

 the systematic cultivation of the plant 

 could be made a considerable source of 

 revenue. 



Botany and Habitat. 



The sunflower (Helianthus annuus) is 

 said to be a native of Mexico and Peru, 

 and was introduced into Europe at the 

 end of the sixteenth century. It is 

 largely cultivated in Russia, Germany, 

 Italy, and France, and also in China and 

 Tartary, as well as in the United States. 

 It is an annual herb, bearing large, flat, 

 circular flower heads. The seed is the 

 most useful portion of the plant, and 

 this is commonly eaten raw or cooked 

 or used for the extraction of oil. The 

 oil-cake after expression forms a valu- 

 able cattle-food and a condition powder 

 for horses. Tne leaves and the stalk 

 have distinct food values, and when 

 reduced to a sufficient state of fineness 

 possess nutritive qualities of a high 

 order. The sunflower stem has rather 

 strong bast fibres, and the plant has 

 often been suggested as a source of cellu- 

 lose for paper mills. The amount of 

 cellulose is generally comparatively high, 

 The fibre is too weak and brittle, how- 

 ever, to oe of value for cordage or textile 

 purposes, and perhaps its highest value 

 lies in ifcn use for fuel, the ash being rich 

 in potash. 



Cultivation. 



The method of cultivating sunflowers 

 for commercial purposes is best described 

 by Dr. H. W. Wiley from the results of 

 their growth in the United States : "As 

 a rule the soils which are best suited for 

 the growth of Indian corn (mealies) pro- 

 duce the best crop of sunflowers. If the 

 soil is not naturally fertile, liberal ferti- 

 lisation must be practised in order to 

 secure large crops. The character of the 

 fertilisation depends upon the nature of 

 the soil and the deficiencies of the plant 

 food therein. The kind of fertilisation 

 necessary to produce a good crop of 

 maize will be found suitable for the 

 sunflower. The soil should be prepared 

 by careful ploughing, and the surface of 

 the ploughed soil should be reduced to 

 good tilth by the use of the harrow. 

 Sunflowers are best planted by a drill 

 in rows from 3 to 3£ feet apart. In order 

 to secure a good stand the seeds may be 

 placed by the drill 2 or 3 inches apart ; 

 but should they all grow, at least half 

 of them should be cut out when the 

 plants are thinned. The seeds should 

 be planted deep enough to secure abun- 

 dant moisture to germinate them ; from 

 2 to 3 inches in depth when the soil is 

 not too heavy will be found the best. 

 With heavy, stiff soils, which are likely 

 to become very hard on the surface after 

 heavy rains, it is better not to plant the 

 seeds so deep. The seeds should be 

 planted as early as possible in the spring, 

 as they endure very well a slight degree 

 of cold- After the plants are well formed 

 they should be thinned so as to stand at 

 a distance of from 12 to 18 inches in 

 the row. The cultivation should be of 

 the ordinary kind, mostly superficial, 

 and sufficient to prevent the weeds from 

 growing and preserve the moisture 

 during periods of drought. When the 

 production of seed is sought, the best 

 results are secured by limiting the 

 number of seed heads on each plant to a 

 very few. The superfluous heads when 

 formed should be removed. No special 

 directions need be given for the cultiva- 

 tion, since it is so much like maize as to 

 be practically the same." 



As this crop is sensitive to frost, it 

 should not be sown until all danger of 

 th is sort is past. Dr. Eric A. Nobb says 

 {Cape Agricultural Journal, Jan., 1908) 

 that in Cape Colony seed sown about 

 September or October has given the 

 best results. He adds that the most 

 suitable climate is one which is warm 

 and sunny, and not subject to unseason- 

 able frost. The sunflower takes from 3 



