The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1895-01-02
The SunfloUer VS.. Cotton.
Edlto, DARLINGTON Neacs

Editor Darlington News:
AS the South is sorely ln need of a
money crop to take the place of cotton,
which has fallen in price below the cost
of production, will you allow me, through
the columns of your paper, to call the
attention of our farmers to the sun
flower, in. which they will hud subject
worthy Of consideration There can be
no doubt of the fact that this plan. is
we'll suited to our soil and climate, as
many of US know that its seed will
remain in the ground perfectly
sound all the winter. and will spring up
and flourish the next season i'll spite of
adverse circumstances. 1t is native OF
tropical America and perfectly at home
with us. A few years since it was high
ly recommended, not only as an oil and
food producer, but also, as greatly con-
ducive to the health of viclnltles IN
which it was planted; but as there were
&C Of! mills in the country, there was no
market for t g seed, and the sunfower
went down before king Cotton. who
is now grinding his subjects in the dust
and trampling them under foot. Hines
however, have changed and Why eau
not our farmers retrieve part, at least,
Of their lost fortunes by cultlvating the
sunAower? Oil mills are now in active
operation all over the South. and |
have been told by operatives that little
or no change in the machinery of these
oil mills will be necessary tc eoable
them to be utilized for extracting oil
from the seed of the sunaower 70 fact,
that the most expensive machinery ne
cessary for the extraction of cotton seed
oil. to wit, the lluters aud the sepera-
tors, cao be dispensed with There is
at least one mill manager who is will
ug to buy sundower seed DOW. These
mills we're erected by enterprislng men
for the purpose Of making money, and
feel sure that the managers Thereon Will
be very glad to cooperate with the
farmers, and try to establish market for
both the seed and oil of the sunhower.
The seed and oil cake can be utilized at
bome as food for every variety of stock,
aud possibly for mankind also, and the
leaves as forage for cattle aud horses. The
oil cake is said to be superior to cotton
seed meal as fertilizer, because it con-
taius larger percentage Of nitrogen or
ammonia. The seed has been
recommended for poultry, especially
and right here I would ask a question
that have often thought Of, namely,
why cannot the Southern farmer raise
spring chickens for the Northen markets
lust as well as he raises early vegetables!
A friend of mine who was with the
engineering corps that surveyed the
Northern Pacific Railroad route tells me
that be SAN thousands of acres Of suo-
flowers growing wild in the Yellow
Stone Valley, twenty or thirty years
ago, where the hand Of mar gave them
no assistance. If, then. the sunaower
persists in e.owing under adverse cir
cumstances, as many Of us know it does,
it seems to me that it should be as cheap
ly aud easily raised as hay or small
grain of any description, and as easily
gathered. for the seed beads are admlra-
bly formed for Icing harvested by ma
ohioery-machincs having been long
since invented for gathering ears OF corn
from stalks aud the seed heads of clover.
In connection herewith, please be
kind enough to publish the following ex-
tracts which will throw more light On
this important subject.
THos. Z. RICHARDSON,
Sumter, S. c., Dec 5, 1894.