The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1920-01-09
BUREAU BOOSTS
SUNrLOWER SILACE

new one to most Of US, but II the re-
suits that have been so far secured
are typical, this crop will soon be
very well known in sections such as
the upper peninsula where corn can
not mature for the silo every year.
Some extensive experiments have
been carried on in various states
with sunfowers as silage crop.
Some Of the most notable are those
performed in Montana. Sunfowers
have been grown there for several
years on both dry and irrigated land.
The mammoth Russian variety has
been used. Seed was sown the lat
ter part Of April or early in May on
we'll prepared land. The grain drill
or corn planter may be used for seed
If proper adjustment is made. Guilt
walton should be given to plants the
same as corn, rows being 36 inches
apart. using to pounds Of seed
per acre and thinning the stand to
one plant for every 10 to 15 inches.
They are cut for ensilage when " to
X Of the seed is in the milk stage.
The stalks are passed to the ensilage
cutter and treated just like corn.
Two lots of cows were used in a
test to find the relative feeding val
ne Of the silage. Each. lot contained
seven cows as near equal as possible
in breed, age, weight, condition. etc.
Lot one received grain and clover
hay. Lot two received grain, clover
hay and sunfower silage. At the
end Of the first % days the lots were
reversed, each receiving the feed for
the next % days which the other lot
had received for the first period. The
cows gained an average Of IL pounds
each when fed on grain and clover
hay. On grain, clover hay and sun
flower silage the average gain was
six pounds. The grain ration was
the same throughout the entire ex-
pertinent and an average daily feed
of "a pounds Of sunfower. silage saved
9 pounds clover hay per COW per day.
There was slight increase in pro-
duction while the cows were (receiv-
ing sunfower ehsilage.
At the Nevada experiment station
sunflowers were grown and fed with
excellent results. The coarse stems
and heads, including the seed, were
sent through the proper stages of
fermentation and worked up into a
mealy succulent pulp which was very
palatable and which was entirely con-
sumed by the stock. In Illinois an
agricultural agent reports that one
of his farmers planted Mammoth
Russian sunfowers at the rate of
pounds per acre. They were about
one-tenth in bloom when cut for sill
weighed yielded at the rate of 15h
tons per acre. Corn on the same soil
would average 10 to IL tons per acre.
It is found that sunfowers are an es-
pecially good crop for adverse con-
ditions such as dry spells, insects and
early frosts. Sunffower silage is
practically equivalent to corn silage
in feeding value. This may not be
maintained when theA is large per
cent Of ear corn in the silage but up
in this northern section we do not get
a large per cent Of ear corn and the
sunfowers, therefore, with their hea-
Wy seed heads will make just about
as rich feed.
A county agent from Colorado re-
ports the Russian sunflowers were
planted in his county from May 18th
to June 1st. On June and 2 there
was one of the worst freezes ever
recorded for that time Of the year.
It damaged alfalfa, killed gardens
and ruined fruit prospects but ap-
parently didn't harm the sunfowers
at all. The same hardness was shown
this fall when on October 1st, after
killing frosts occurred every night
since Sept 21st, the Russian sun
flowers still had green leaves which
seemed very little hurt; in this same
country corn was grown and yielded
about 3 tons per acre, while the sun
flower yield is estimated at close to
20 tons per acre. From their ex-
perience it would seem that sunfow-
ers should be planted as early in the
spring as possible as the late frosts
are not apt to damage them. Sum
flowers are advocated also as very
good weed eradicator.
Eli Puotinen Of Amasa grew sun
flowers this summer for silAge and
reports q very successful crop. yield
ing much better. than corn grown on
the same land He advises, from HIS
experience 30 FAR. the planting Of
sunflowers alone and mot mixing Il
with corn. The sunfowers grow tall
er than the corn and when bundled
with the corn are more awkward "a
handle than when bundled sepaxatsly
John Kaski, Of Fortune Lake, also
grew sunnowsrs this year mixed with
corn. He reports good yield and