The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-03-15
HERE'S A CHANCE.
Kansas May be Enriched BY Its
SunfloWers.
Seeds Available For Food and
Mechanical Purposes.
WHATWILEY HAS DONE
The Government Chemist Made
Extensive Experiments.
Says SunfIower Seed Is Suitable
For Table Use.
Already Being Grown For Profit
in Sections OF United States.

Washington, d. C., March 15.-That
famous flower SO previously known to the
heart of every Kansap. and which stands
out proudly in bold relief as their en-
blem, has now attained a commercial
value that will add to its popularity and
material worth It Is of the glorious sun
flower that we speak It IS the hover
that grows By the millions n kan fi3.si,
heavy heads in the summer breeze with
l,-;z,r, rI,l-eS2 dof
the prairies of every section within her
borders; they are seen in every Held. on
@ SHSsTy r0@d~ide-they are seen every
Results of scientific study by the gov
jestic sunfowsr, which means new ana
only come forward with the statement
that the seed of these flowers are hignly
as a staple diet There is something ex-
hilarating in the mere thought OF the gay
yellow blossom, but OUTSIDE OF hl1sslas
ferrine If to the e1beIIishrnent of a salad.
Prof Wiley, the government chemist, has
sunfiower raising with a view to intro>
he saws. ssfroT its sweetness and palata-
bility the product of sunfioWer seed is well
suited to table use, and more nearly than
any other known Xeget;a1Dlee mas mas me gen
evidently been ahead of Prof. Wiley in
opinion that the large amount of this
seed Imported into this country cannot be
used only for food of birds or animals,
but is used in manufacturing soap adul-
terating olive oil and for similar pur-
real use. both of the seed imported and
valley and other parts of the country and
shipped to New York.
Prof. Wiley says; In Russia, where
the numerous religious fasts restricting
the use of meat lead to a large consump-
ton Of vegetable oils and oily foods, the
gnnfiGVCar hnCTfIn6 almost
roasted, as peanuts are in America but
much more extensively. Between 1880 and
tIred on a commercial scale in the south
ern provinces of Russia, and since that
time a series of important industries,
cake has been developed there. 1t is
used for wooden dressing. lighting and
candle and soap making. For the last
mentioned purpose it is superior to most
There are many varieties OF the sum
flower in Russia, and the larger and finer
seeds are highly relished by the people of
and and quantities Of them are are eaten raw. In
palatability and wholesomeness they are
this country. The stalks, straw and chaff
of the plant are highly priced for fuel.
most the only fuel employed The plant
which hourishes in some sections Of this
e91Rtry = Is 1 81 the same variety as that
'sThe hedgerows of sunfowers on the
prairies of Kansas, where they grow as
free as the grass of the fields and fur
nish almost the only relief to the land
1t is only of late years that we have re-
allied that it has an economic importance
in the future. we have only just begun
to learn. from the experience Of China
and Russia the economic value of the
plant itself That there IS an interest in
the subject is evidenced by the hundreds
Of inquiries received from all over the
Some of the communications received
by the department of agriculture state
that the leaves Of the sunhower have been
used as substitute for tobacco but It |
Is not probable that the adulterat1on, OF
tobacco with this plant has been practiced
undoubtedly valuable animal food when
mixed IN proper proportions with other
Of the animal and therefore is beneficial
to its health, and the seeds are used to a
large extern Ply horseIlnen ana cattlenen
Tor that purpose me department has
received many inquiries as to the efficacy
1t is possible that the growth Of the plant
over extensive areas may tend to correct
favorable to the development of malarial
germs. 1t is not thought that the plant
larial diseases.
BY a study Of the reports received at
the department It is found that sunhoW-
ers grow best. for commercial purposes,
in Kansas, Missouri and the Ohio valley.
ever, are found peculiarly suitable to the
growth of this plant AS a rule, the soil
corn win be productive Of a rich harvest
of sunhowers- The cultivation should be
and sufficient to prevent the weeds from
growing and preserve the moisture dur
is sought, the best results are secured By
limiting the number Of seed heads on
eact plant to very few, the superf1uous
heads being removed.
diana are growing sunfoWers with great
profit. One man in the former state adj
vertised last year for one million pounds
of seed, and by late fall he had pur-
chased and shipped 100000 pounds Prae-
tically an OF this crop was raised in
"a
man who buys sunfloWer seed by the car
load got rich by raising such things On
his rented farm, going into the market
for strange and unusual things. while his
neighbors stuck to wheat and corn and
Where cultivated in Illinois and Indiana !
the flowers that first appear are not
light yellow in color. Each day more of
them can be counted, everyone on a tall
upsboot and bending It's head IN the most
dignified away imaginable. making the
tiers saluting their king They bow to-
ward the sun as a general rule, bending
noon and the west in the evening.
As late summer comes, no view is richer /
The color tone is yellog- Ihen-a rich. |
deep yellow-vith- Inst enough dark brown
contrast. High stand the stalks and each |
is bored low with its, weight Of flower, !
TIE corn in adjoining fields;
Inc narrow yellow petals Tither and
fail away, or turn brown and sere, and |
then the harvesting Of this most unique
crop Degiqs- me heads are cut off the
stalks by hand and thrown into a wagon. /
After being carefully dried they have lost |
all their beauty and are dark, angular. /
ugly things that impress one with their
size IT. Is an actual fact that some of
these cultivated sunf1Owers are s large I
in diameter as six columns of neWspa /
per are wide. and the brown tonsure in /
the center IS often foot il diameter
The seeds are separated by running the /
heads through an ordinary thresniner ma
chine cylinder, which knockes the seeds
from the pockets in which they are i'm
hedded- The operation OF cleaning is !