The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1880-03-31
SunfiOwer-seed Oil.
(Helid9athus d'a1aetatS.)
mn, o.,4,,, zropicnnAaricult,ve.

holon1s derives it's scientific name
from Eelios. sun, and d9athOS, a flower,
on account of the brilliant color OF
the flower, and from the erroneous
idea. propagated by poets and others,
that the flowers always turned to-
wards the sun; hence, also, the
French name t0auneSOL 1t appears
TO possess far more profitable quail
Ties than have been hitherto sup
losed. and may be cultivated with
advantage and applied to many use.
tul purposes. The great variety OF
valuable properties belonging to the
sunfower seed has been more neg
lecied than any other, when it ought
to be paid greater attention to. NO
plant produces such fine honey and
wax. and when the flower is i'll BIOS
som bees abound on it. A few years
aoo one or two farmers cleared
nearly $40 by their honey alone.
The produce will be according to the
nature of the soil and mode OF Guilt
walton.
The sunfower has been long
largely grown in parts OF Russia for
its oil, and the German farmers have
lately taken up the cultivation. The
plant glows readily in most climates.
From the stalks of the plants the
Russians manufacture valuable pot.
ash. and the residue, alter extracting
the oil is used tor feeding cattle,
made into oil-cake. The leaves go
to manure the soil.
The quantity of seed is much in
creased by dwarfing the plants; the
best manure is said to be old mortar
broken up. The plants should be
kent clear and tree from weeds; the
quantity OF seed required is about
6 lbs. per acre. They should have
sufficient interval between them tor
exposure to the sun, as under such
circumstances they become larger
and more fully stored with seed. The
oil extracted from the SEED is said TO
be superior 10 both almond and olive
oil for table use, and for use III
WOODEN factories, making soap, and
candles, and tor lighting purposes.
The leaves have been manufactured
into cigars, possessing, 1t is stated.
pectoral properties which might
prove more etticacious than strand
mum. The blossoms furnish brill
liant yellow dye which stands well.
The mare, or refuse OF 81 bushels
of seed, after the oil has been ex'
pressed, made into cakes, will pro-
duce 1900 lbs, and the stalks, when
burnt for alkali, will give 10 per
cent. OF potash. The green leaves
OF the sunhower, when dried and
burnt TO powder, make excellent
fodder tor mich COWS, mixed with
bran. Sir Allen Crockden, OF Seal
Grove, by Sevenoaks, tor many years
cultivated the sunfower, Tor the pur.
sose Of feeding his stock. The oil
makes most beautiful soap, particu
larly sottening to the hands, and
lace, and is most delightful to shave
with. The cake is superior to lin
seed tor tattening cattle. Sheep
pigs, pigeons, rabbits, poultry OF all
sorts, etc, will tatten rapidly upon it,
and prefer the seed to any other !;
pheasants in particular, causing them
10 have a much more glossy plum.
age and to be plumper III the body.
1t increases the quantity OF eggs
from poultry fed with it. The seed,
shelled, makes, when ground, very
fine flour tor bread, particularly tea
cakes. 1t will grow in any corner
that may be vacant, and make all
farms have most garden-like appear
ance. IL should be planted six
inches apart, and about one inch
deep, and when one foot high may
be earthed up; it then will require
no further attention. Every single
plant will produce 1000 OF more
seeds; the main head generally pro.
duces 500 TO 1000 seeus, and there
are usually four collaterals, produc.
ing SO or GU seeds each. But it
is not the seed only that is so valua.
BILE, the stalk is useful also; tor, by
treating it exactly like flax, it will
produce fiber as fine as silk, and Ill
large quantities. Now that rags
have become so scarce, arising troIn
the very unprecedented demand Tor
paper the stalk might be used tor pa.
per making. On some grounds
Two crops may be growing at The
same time; when the farmer has
given his early potatoes last hoe.
ING, be can plant his seed II inches
apart in The ridges. The Chinese
, have it by thousands OF tons, and