i Ava., 1902.] QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 129 
Answers to Correspondents. 
RINGING PIGS. 
Arruor Brrorp, Kolan River, Bundabere— 
Question 1.—Does your Department recommend the ringing of pigs? 
Answer 1.—No, unless they are given to rooting when turned into lucerne 
paddocks ; in such cases it is advisable. 
Question 2.—Is it customary at the Agricultural College or Experimental 
Farms ? 
Answer 2.—No. 
Question 3.—What are the advantages to be obtained ? 
Answer 3.—To prevent pigs from rooting lucerne, clover, and grasses. 
SUNFLOWERS. 
Apam Rerp, Almora, Nanango— 
Question.—Will you, through your Journal, be good enough to give me 
some de‘inite information as to planting sunflowers—z.e., How and 
when to plant; and treatment of sunflower seed for oil ? 
Answer.—The sunflower will grow in almost any soil and in any climate. 
It will bear cold or heat, drought or rain. It is subject to no 
disease, and to no climatic disqualification. The cultivation is very 
simple. The plant is not at all particular, but prefers light, 
rich, well-drained soil. It is advisable to sow early—say, the 
beginning of September—to secure perfect maturity. The quantity 
of seed per acre will vary from 4 Ib. to 6 lb. It should be sown in 
drills, 5 feet between the rows, and the seed drilled or dibbled in at 
intervals of 3 feet. The plants may afterwards be thinned out, if 
found necessary, owing to exuberant growth, to ensure full exposure 
to the sun—a very necessary condition. As the plants have a habit 
of spreading their branches and heads in successive layers over each 
other, thinning is generally necessary. When 12 inches high, a 
slight earthing up benefits the plants. Sunflowers with many heads 
do not ripen the seed evenly; therefore it is best to cultivate a 
species producing only one large head to each plant. The Tall 
Mammoth Russian is such a variety, and may be planted closer. 
It produces more seed than any other sort, and can be obtained 
from most seedsmen in Brisbane, and probably elsewhere. A yield 
of 50 bushels per acre is not uncommon under favourable 
conditions. The Mammoth or Giant Russian has often produced 
flower-heads 15 inches in diameter, and bearing over 2,000 large 
seeds. The leaves of the sunflower, when sun-dried, pounded, and 
mixed with meal or bran, make good fodder for milch cows. The 
oil expressed from the seeds is almost equal to olive oil. There are 
oilmills in the Southern States the owners of which will buy the 
seed. But you could put up a simple oilmill, consisting of two 
rollers driven by a horse gear. The yield of oil is 40 per cent. of 
the weight of seed, and the oileake is wholesome and fattening food 
for cattle, being superior to linseed-cake. The seeds having been 
driven through the rollers, which are gauged to just break the hard 
cuticle, are winnowed to separate the husk from them. Then 
the blanched seeds are putin hempen bags 14 inches wide, and 
subjected to pressure at a temperature of from 70 to 90 degrees 
Hahr. When the oil is expressed, it is put into filtering-bags, and 
drains into vessels beneath. 
