The St. Louis Republic., 1905-10-08
COMMUNITY RICH
FROM SUxFL0WERS
Indiana Township Probably Only
One Devoted to This Industry
Pioneer in Industry Vas
HoOted Until he Cleared $50 IN
Acre, Then He Was Initiated.
REPTELic SPECIAL

REPUBLIC SPECIAL
Jeffessonv!llc. Ind. Oct. 7.-Preparations
flower crop in Refhlehem Toxnship. In
expected the Yield this year win amoun.
soa to ,hss ar tsni .,n., m ct ..a ssh %
Z. Pernett.
The Pernetts buy all the sunfover seed
aau;ed 2, I 70 The. store and il Is pied up un.
ship II by boat 70 Madison, where Il ts
sold. 4 great deal Of Il is sfound and
de ma, INTO sondf.on pcwdsrs for stock
called olive Oh that Is said to suTpass
cot:ou-seed Oil
tn. faths. OF the sunscwer industry in
Who has made enough money 10 retire
from . :srnins M, asDon!a ysS; ;, INTO S,c
th. first time they said he vac crazy and
was turning his farm into flower garden.
Mcdonald went ahead. however, and when
ne harvested his crop he sod I, for Z
laughing ceased and hers began to raise
sunsowe., ,or seed i S.E be Is cSn..dsssd
who does not raise some.
Complaining time Is sunhowe:- planting
time. and the two are cultivated IN Hvch
the same way. SoEae OF the growers are
inclined 20 be sUpe-stitious. and assef: that
,:.lcss the seed Is sown IN the dark Of the
May MOON the crop VII not be worth har-
their convenience. and i: IL sAic that there
Is 40 difference in the yield.
The enemy OF the suraower IS the Eng.
numerous in Bethlehem Township as the
sur:,ow.r stalks. By hard work the birds
az. fought away sufficiently 10 save mos
Ia, il. the early fan and make good eat
irg hs there is no law against killing
them, mary are victims OF the shctgIs ana
b.-d-:raps.
WORK AT HARVEST TINE.
The suntow-r ha-ves, has little about u
,nat Is no, p,osaic. and il requires solid
pods The th.s=h;ns is dore by hand IN 2
wagon as the crop Is gathered. ana unless
the seed = dead rire' IL is attended with
Inconvenience as the grain IS sticky At
rav.s. time a wagon containing sereiai
mon and wsII-growH boys Il sent 20 the
;hs driver being armed with a club. Men
armed wiki corn knives go aheao OF the
wagon a.d cut Of the flowers. leaving
about ten inches OF the stalk Tor a hciI.
hs ras. as the pods are cut they are
,h-Oxn To on. Of the men or boys In the
wagon. who * waiting his turn. ard he
begins TO pound the flower
The seed fails out into the wagon ana
the ..,lptied pod is thrown overheard.
Af:er u. seed i hauled 10 the bari, u 10
cl5sr.i In a machine. and then sacked tn
bu-heI o, sunanwsr seed weighs about
thirtv-two pounds. and the present ps.ce
il about - cents a bushei. Though II Is rot
sold that way. the price being nxed az
- much a pound. TINS year me price =
about certs-
An acre Of ground will yield SO to 80
pounds II seed. aad occasionally 1SC
rounds az. harvested from ar acre OF
extra sc0. ground when the season has
pe.r favorable.
The Bethlehem Township farmers say
sunaowers are surer than corn and that
the crop pays better.
An Bethi hen. Township the sunf!ower
grows 30 an enornors size. and IL Ieft TO
its own will each plant would be fall OF
bloom This, the growers say. IL not the
way 10 get good returns for the money
Invested. as each stalk should b. 50 cu!-
tlyat-d as to raise only one pod which
contains more seed In weight than several
smaller ores containing less seed. In a
sh"-t tim. the harves: will begin. and al
hands In Bethlehem Township Will be IN
the stInaowcr harvest field
The Yield this ycac X said 20 te above
the average Oh account cs the good rains