Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1892-08-02
ABOUT SUNFLOAvERS.
POINTERS FROM RUSSIA CONCERN
ING A POSSIBLE INDUSTRY.

/ Inc RrOuUl utNOttti W tuc CuttiNdtlOn y
the sunnower in Russia has reached 703,
49i acres. What do the Russians make o
this sunfower crops Oil for one thing
Their mills produce 20,000,000 pounds o.
sunflower oil in 4 year, and the product
sells for 81 100000. Two kinds of sun
flowers are cultivated in Russia. One with
small seeds is used for the production Of
oil, and the other with larger seeds is con
sumed by the common people in enormous
quantities as dainties, very much as the
people eat peanuts in the United States.
The sunfower seed is used principally
for obtaining sunfower oil, which, owing
to its nutritious qualities, purity and agree
able flavor, has superseded all vegetable
oils in many places of this country.
/, In general the cultivation of the sun.
flower in Russia is considered to be very
profitable. At the average yield of l, 1850
pounds per acre and at the average price
Of ~ cents per pound, the farmer'receives
an income of about twenty dollars per
acre. This income can be increased in
those districts where the grower himself is
engaged in producing the oil from the
seed. However, oil mills are very rare in
the villages the farmers selling their seed
to the oil producers.
In the seed growing district of Saratov
there are only thirty-four village oil mills,
producing oil worth $40 900 annually where
as in the town of Saratov $3.50, 900 worth of
oil is manufactured annually. The sub,
stance remaining from the oil manufac-
ture, or the sunhower cakes, being used as
cattle food, Is also a valuable product.
These cakes, however, have a compare
lively small demand in Russia, and are
largely exported to foreign countries, prin-
cipally to Germany and England. The
government of Saratov, for instance, ex-
ports about 100000 pounds of sunflower
cakes to different countries, where some
more oil is pressed out of them before be-
ing used for cattle food.
The sunfower cakes form one Of the
principal items in the export of Russia.
A HINT FOR THIS COUNTRY.
These facts have prompted Consul Gen
eral Crawford, ut ST. Petersburg, to send
to the state department a mass of interest
ing information, for he believes "the sun
flower is capable of introducing a new
element into the agriculture of the United
States, and one that promises to become an
important industry"
The stalk very often being three inches
in diameter and about eight feet long,
sometimes bearing many heads, some of
which are more than foot in diameter
containing about 1900 seeds, it is evident
that in order to grow this plant profitably
1t is absolutely necessary to have very
fertile soil, which at the same time must
be very compact and sufficiently deep to
sustain the stalk with it's roots. The best
soil for this purpose is mold or black land
mixed with sand On meager soil the
seeds grow fiat and small, whereas on stout
soil round, heavy and rich seeds are OBJ
tanned. Soil where potatoes and peas have
been proftably cultivated without arti-
fetal manure may be adapted for the
growing of the sunfower. 1t also thrives
well on newly worked fields if the soil is
not composed of too much clay and sand.
On clay and sandy soil the sunfiower does
not thrive, as it cannot retain the moisture
absolutely necessary, nor are the roots able
to sustain the weight of the fruit.
1t has been estimated that the stalks and
leaves of single crop are sufficient to
manure the field for five or six excellent
sunfiower crops. If therefore four-fifths
of the stalks and leaves were gathered for
fodder, leaving one-fifth uncut and evenly
distributed, the fields, it is thought, could
be made to produce good crops almost in
definitely
IL EftON Eo lhE LAND.
The huge heads, the thick stalks and
the large leaves of the sunflower would
lead one scientifically to conclude that it
would greatly impoversh the soil on which
it is extensively grown, but the practice of
many years proves to the contrary An ex-
perienced Russian farmer, Mr.. Taratch-
koff, asserts that although it is generally
believed that all oil producing plants
greatly exhaust the land the sunflower
seems to be an exception.
He says that he has, for experiment.
sown winter wheat and other corn many
times after the sunfower and other plants,
and the crops were always better after the
sunflower. Therefore, he maintains the
view held in the village of Alexeievka
that the sunfiower not only does not exhaust
the land, but that it actually enriches it.
The same view is entertained by other ex-
perienced farmers in the government of
Saratov and VOrOnezh. One, Mr.. Perel-
eshin, says that wheat especially grows
very much better after sunflower crop.
For instance, on the large steppes in the
government of Voronezh the sunflower is
sown alternately with wheat and flax. the
crops OF which are always very abundant:
whereas, If wheat and flax are rotated. or
II either Is sown in succession on the same
ground, but without being preceded by the
sunfiowert the crop will soon be satisfac-
tory.
WHEN AND HOW TO SOW.
The sunflower should be sowp very early
In the spring, even before the oats. or as
soon as the snow has melted 1t has been
shown that the sooner the sowing is done
the better is the seed obtained. In MANY
districts the sowing is made in the an
tumn, but this must be done so late that
the seeds will not sprout The ground
must be plowed rather deep, but care must
be taken that the seeds are not buried
more than about two inches deep, that the
seeds may sprout as soon as possible, the
soil In the spring being warmed only on
the surface. Many farmers moisten the
seeds before sowing.
The sunfiower is sown either broadcast
or in rows; in the latter case the seeds
should be placed about six inches apart
The sowing of the seed broadcast. being the
more quickly performed is generally
favored on large farms, especially where
the farmers have not sufficient help. OF
the two notwithstanding in the fall and in
the spring-the latter seems to produce the
most satisfactory results. Seed sown early.
even on poorly prepared ground, does much
better than when sown late under the hes,
conditions of soil. Although the sowi~y in
rows requires more time and more work Mt
first, and consequently is more expensive,
1t has great advantage over the broadcast
method Cor. St Louis
Globe Democrat.