Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1894-11-28
SUNFLOWER CROP.
Features of q New and Novel
Industry.
HOW 1T Is CULTIVATED In RUSSIA.
The Cultivation of the Sunfiower Can be
Made One of the Best Paying
Crops In America.
HOW IT IS CULTIVATED in RUSSIA.

/
mended to a Russian farmer to prevent
sickness, he tested its remedial values
and then began its use as food to his
family and the cake to the stock. Sc
popular for oil and food has the sun
flower seed industry of Russia become,
that in 1882 there were 367, $50 acres
in cultivation; in 1867, 704, 496 acres.
Seed is of the large and small varie-
ties, the latter used for oil, the former
eaten the same as peanuts. A Russian
farmer gives the yield of seeds at 1850
to 1900 lbs. per acre and nets the
grower $28 to 81 per acre.
Mr.. Duncan, an extensive cotton
planter in the Mississippi bottom, who
visited Russia last year for the pur-
pose of gaining information i'll regard
to the culture of the sunflower i'll that
country, gives his observation as fol-
lows: 1.-The Russians, who grow the
plant. generally SOW the seeds after a
crop of wheat and rye has been har-
vested from the land. Some SOW after
oats and buckwheat, but have found it
less profitable to SOW after the latter,
as the buckwheat takes up such large
per cent. of potassium form the soil,
the flower does not pay. 1t thrives and
heads we'll after crops of rye and
clover The land intended to be
planted is thoroughly plowed in the
fall and left until the next spring, at
which time the seeds are sown, either
in drills or broadcast. If in rows, they
are planted from 2 to "a inches apart,
depending largely on the fertility of
the soil. On some of the rich, black
lands, they grow from four to six crops
without resting the land.
The Russians estimate that the stalks
and leaves of one crop, if left ON the
land, will mature the soil sufficiently
to yield six or more crops consecutively
without additional fertilizing. The
roots of the stalks soon rot in the
ground and leave about one ton of ma
nure per acre in the soil, which is very
fine for the next crop. The plant re-
quires but little attention and labor
after planting When it is about 10
or 12 in height, the field should be
thoroughly cleaned of grass and weeds.
That is all that will be required un-
til harvest. Harvest time varies ac-
cording to soil, climate and exposure
of the flower to the sun. The usual
time is fixed from September 1 to Octo-
ber 10Th. When the seeds are fully
ripe, the heads of the flowers are cut
from the stalks and placed in drying
sheds for the purpose of curing them,
the same as curing leaf tobacco. When
the flower is fully dry, the seeds are
threashed from the cups, and screened
and run through fan mill, and are
then ready for the seed mill
Mr.. Duncan continues, "After care
fully examining every feature of this
new and novel industry, as conducted
by the Russians, 1 am induced to be-
lieve that with our improved modes of
farming, together with our climate and
soil, the cultivation of the sundower
can be made one of the best paying
crops that the average American farm
er can raise. When we take into con-
sideration the great saving of labor and
expense in producing the crop ready
for market, as compared with others,
it is wonderful.
An American chemist, living i'll st.
Petersburg in 1868, made compound
lard, taking sunfower oil as the base,
which was pronounced superior to
hogs lard, in every respect, for domes-
tic purposes Some of this compound
was sent to food exposition in Hol-
land, and took the first prize, as pure
refined hogs lard. He then produced,
from the same oil, oleomargarine,
which also took premium as creamery
butter. From the residuum of the oil
he manufactured fine washing and
toilet soaps, which are standard brands
in Europe and South America. Drug
gists use the refined oil in preparing
liniments, salves and hair lotions.
When properly, treated, it is used on the
most delicate machinery as lubrica-
tor.
The annual output of all the sun
flower oil mills, in value, is estimated
at 81, 700, 900 for the oil only. Oil
cake is put at $50, The oil cake
is largely consumed in Russia, Ger
many, England, Sweden. Denmark,
and Holland, as feed for cattle. The
stock raisers and farmers of these coun-
tries regard the oil cake as the best
food to be obtained for cattle. They
claim for it superiority over hemp or
rape seed for producing flesh on beef
cattle, and equally as good for increas-
ing the supply of milk in mich cows.
A German farmer reports that he in
creased the flesh ON an OK 2 lbs. per
day by feeding on sunfower oil cake.
These people also hold 1t in high esteem
as horse feed. They say it produces
flesh and gives the hair a lively, slick
appearance. The dried cups are fed to