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 (4, p. 20- 
21) conducted feeding experiments with two lots of silage; one from 
Fig. 4. — Cutting sunflowers for silage by hand. This method should 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 
