THE SUNFLOWER AS A SILAGE CROP. 9 
Texas Silver Queen, Black Giant, Mammoth Russian Giant, Com- 
mon, Double California, and Silver and Gold, yielded in the order 
named 10.63 to 4.87 tons per acre except the last-named variety, 
which was tested only in 1895 and produced in that year at the 
rate of 11.39 tons per acre. These same varieties were continued 
under test in 1896, but a poor stand was obtained, and the year's 
results therefore were not included in the averages. The seed for 
these tests ordinarily was purchased from seed houses in the United 
States. 
Notwithstanding the fact that some of these varieties made a 
very good showing, most of them were discarded and only three, 
the Black Giant, Mammoth Russian, and White Beauty, were grown 
in subsequent years. In the report for 1897 this action is explained 
as follows : "As some of these varieties, however, did not give satis- 
factory results nearly all of them were dropped from the list." 
Since a number of the seven varieties, such as the Helmnthus glo- 
hosus and Texas Silver Queen, made larger yields than any of the 
varieties contained in the tests, it is evident that some consideration 
other than the yield must have been responsible for the action of 
the Ontario officials in discontinuing the tests of those varieties. 
The average yield, green weight, of the varieties included in the 
test for 16 years was Black Giant, 22.3; Mammoth Russian, 17.8; 
and White Beauty, 16.5 tons per acre. 
The Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station conducted a va- 
riety test of sunflowers in 1918, but this test developed quite largely 
into a question of rust resistance. 6 The Mantica, developed by 
Luther Burbank; the Kaeurpher. from South America; the Mam- 
moth Russian; and the Double Mixed were tested. Of these va- 
rieties the Kaeurpher was the only one which proved rust resistant. 
More experimental work with varieties will have to be conducted 
before a decision can be reached as to the best variety for silage 
purposes. 
GROWING SUNFLOWERS FOR SILAGE. 
Only within the past decade have sunflowers been grown extensively 
in the United States for silage. In growing the crop for this pur- 
pose it is. of course, important to use cultural methods that will 
yield the largest tonnage. To attain this result it is usually neces- 
sary to plant more thickly than where a seed crop is the object. 
The same treatment of the soil that prepares the surface for corn 
planting will answer for sunflowers. The ground is usually plowed 
in the spring and worked down with a spike-tooth harrow, or if fall 
6 Mich. Agr. Exp. Sta. Quar. Bui., v. 3, no. 3, Feb., 1920, p. 128-129. 
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