The RURAL NEW-YORKER 
Sunflower Silage Succeeds 
ORN OR SUNFLOWERS.—Many comparisons 
made between corn silage of the best quality 
and sunflower silage have shown the balance of 
economy of gain in beef cattle and yield of milk in 
dairy cattle in favor of the sunflower. In one ex¬ 
periment, where corn was compared with pea and 
oat silage, together with sunflowers, to ascertain the 
proportionate values of each, the results were strik¬ 
ingly in favor of sunflowers. The peas and oats 
reached a stage of prime fitness for silage and gave 
a very satisfactory yield of about seven tons to the 
acre. But pound for pound they were not equal to 
the sunflower crop when fed to dairy cattle, and the 
yield from the latter was 35 tons to the acre, or five 
times as great as of peas and oats. 
COMPARATIVE YIELD—The following table 
indicates the yield in green weight per acre of sun¬ 
flowers, corn, and peas and oats, the moisture con¬ 
tent at the time the crops were put into the silo, and 
the yield in dry matter per acre: 
Yield per Yield per 
acre, ins. nr ueut aac, mr*. 
Kind of Crop Green Moisture Dry matter 
Sunflowers . 79,200 82.41 12,034 
Com . 27.080 78.72 5,745 
Peas and oats..,,,, 14,000 G2.04 5,230 
was that produced on the demonstration farm of the 
Canadian Pacific at Strathmore, Alberta. From 
about eight acres of irrigated land an average yield 
of 34.6 tons to the acre was obtained. Sunflowers 
were also successful on land not irrigated, especially 
so at Olds, Alberta, where a yield of 30 tons per acre 
was had, at Castor 14 tons, and at Paysland Thomas 
Noble harvested 15 tons per acre. These yields were 
secured in an unusually dry season. Mr. Noble has 
found sunflowers an excellent soiling crop, and feeds 
his cattle with them in July and August, besides 
filling his silos for Winter. When his silage gave 
out he doubled the chop ration and gave his cows 
other roughage, hut they went down in milk yield 
very rapidly. 
OTHER EXPERIENCE.—The sunflower silage 
idea has spread rapidly in the past few years, as 
noted in reports of the experiment stations, agricul¬ 
tural colleges and farmers of various sections, as 
follows: Maryland—“The cattle did well on both 
the grain and the stalk when made into silage.” 
Illinois—“Sunflowers are largely taking the place of 
corn in Central and Southern Illinois.” West Vir¬ 
ginia—“We are very well pleased with sunflower 
silage for our conditions.” New Hampshire—“The 
cows did not seem to relish the' sunflower silage the 
1077 
aging features of the greenhouse business? p. A. j. 
Wellsbury, W. Ya. 
NSWERING the last paragraph first, operating 
a greenhouse is very similar to any other busi¬ 
ness. It can be done at a profit, and much more 
easily at a loss, depending entirely upon the amount 
of thought and energy expended upon it. It is a 
business that requires attention 3G5 days a year and 
24 hours a day. You cannot turn the key in the lock 
at Saturday noon and find everything ready to func¬ 
tion when you arrive at 8:30 a. m. on Monday; nor 
can you close every bank holiday; and many a night 
ycu will have less sleep than you wish or require. 
If you really love to see things grow, and wish to 
feel that you are contributing proper conditions to 
encourage such growth, then some of the afore-men¬ 
tioned cares will dwindle from mountain to over¬ 
grown molehill size. If you do not have a real desire 
to grow plants and flowers, and are only thinking of 
this business as an easier method of making money 
than in some other line of work, the road is likely 
to be a hard one, and the long hours will appear a 
real burden, as there is no eight-hour day for the 
beginner with a small greenhouse. 
Some very good plant and flower growers average 
as much as $1 per square foot of glass area, and a 
Harvesting Sunflowers for Use in the Silo. Fig. 458 
THE SAME MACHINERY as for the corn crop is 
used in harvesting sunflowers. For seeding an 
ordinary grain drill is used, stopping up the spouts 
to sow in rows about 30 inches apart. If the seed 
is of high quality 5 pounds per acre will distribute 
it so that the plants will be from 3 to 4 inches apart 
in the row, which is sufficiently thick. Although 
fiom 10 to 15 pounds per acre has'been sown, exper¬ 
ience shows that 5 pounds per acre gives better 
results. The Russian Giant, a black seed, 
striped with white, outyields other strains. Sun¬ 
flowers are ready for the silo at about the same time 
as corn. They should be cut when about 40 per cent 
in bloom, or when the first plants to bloom have 
reached the dough stage. After passing through the 
silage cutter the sunflowers are in finer particles 
titan corn, and in consequence pack more densely in 
the silo, permitting greater than the rated tonnage 
to be stored. 
MUCH USED IN CANADA.—Silos and sunflower 
silage have revolutionized farming methods in many 
districts, such as the drought-infested West and the 
sections of Western Canada, where corn does not 
mature for silage purposes. In such districts as Mani¬ 
toba, Saskatchewan and Alberta, in Western Canada, 
truly remarkable results have been made with sun¬ 
flower silage. Silos are springing all over this wide 
territory, and the dairy industry is becoming an 
important and profitable factor. Perhaps the best 
crop of sunflowers harvested in Western Canada 
first day or so, but took more readily to it later.” 
Colorado—“Our dairy herd was carried through the 
Winter as well on sunflower silage as on corn silage.” 
Sunflowers may he grown successfully on practically 
any land which will produce corn satisfactorily, and 
will give even better returns than corn on rather 
cold and wet soils, muck land, poor soils, light sandy 
soils, soils foul with weeds and weed seeds, and also 
in high altitudes, in short seasons and under 
droughty conditions. Sunflowers are more frost- 
resistant than corn, and therefore may be planted 
earlier in the Spring and may be allowed to remain 
later before being harvested. The crop is harvested 
with an ordinary corn binder. If no corn machinery 
be available, a sled with knives at the sides will give 
good service. e. w. gage. 
A Greenhouse For a Small Town 
Do you think a good industrial town of 5.000 couhl 
support a greenhouse? l)o you consider a house 30x20 
feet a fair-sized house, or would it be considered rather 
small? What would be the approximate cost of a house 
30x20 feet by the cheapest method of building? AVe 
have an abundance of coal here, and it is rather cheap. 
Would it be preferable to steam for heating? Do you 
consider it necessary to locate a greenhouse on a high¬ 
way or public place for best results in getting trade? 
As a general proposition, which is likely to pay better, 
the production of flowers or hothouse vegetables or 
small fruits? AA'here can I get pamphlet or book giving 
most complete practical information on the subject? 
AVill you give some of the most serious and discour* 
few exceptions may reach .$1.50, but by far the larger 
portion do not even reach 50 cents, averaging over 
a period of years. Operating expenses, such as 
labor, fuel, water, etc., must be deducted from this 
amount. 
Any town of 5,000 should easily support a good- 
sized greenhouse, very much larger than the 30x50- 
feot structure mentioned here. It should not be 
necessary to build on a main highway, though a good 
location as near the business section of the town as 
possible will be an asset. A house 20x30 feet should 
cost about $500, heated with several large stoves, 
though hot water as a heating medium will be very 
much more reliable and satisfactory and will require 
very much less attention, but will add possibly $250 
to the cost of the job. This sized house will not be 
large enough to grow a greatly varied assortment of 
flowers: in fact, much better results will follow the 
attempt to grow only one thing in it at a time. 
A suggestion would be to start in the Summer 
with either large flowering Chrysanthemums or with 
pompons, or a combination of the two, planting several 
varieties: early, midseason and late. The pompons 
are more easily grown than the large-flowering 
varieties. The ’mums can be followed with a crop 
of Grand Rapids lettuce. The plants should be strong 
transplanted size by the time the ’mums are ready 
to be thrown out. 
In late February geranium cuttings could be pur¬ 
chased and potted into 3-inch pots, and later into 
