The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1920-04-09
GROWING sUNFLoWERs
m MONTANA
BY Alfred Atkinson and ]. B. Nelson

This presents a brief discussion of
the characteristics and history of the
cultivated sunflower and gives the re-
suits of tests on yields and methods
of growing and feeding sunflowers, as
carried on by the Montana Expert
ment Station.
The sunfiower plant, with its bright
color, it's nodding head, and large
rough leaves, is very generally re-
cognized. Botanically it is listed as
Helianthus annuus and classified in
the order Compositae. The plant is an
annual, which means that it completes
its life in one season.
The stem is stout, ranging from /
to inches in diameter. 1t varies in
height from to 20 feet and is usually
without branches except near the
top. The leaves are large and rough
ened and placed on the stem alterna-
tely, except near the base where they
occur in pairs. The plant commonly
produces from one to six heads, vary
ing with the number of branches,
and the heads range in diameter from
to 20 inches. The yellow ray flow
ers around the edge of the head vary
in number from forty to eighty and
these surround center of dark brown
fiorets. The seeds are oblong, some
what fattened, and approach dia-
mont shape when cut directly across.
The seed color ranges from white to
dark brown, while some combine the
two colors, being dark with light-col-
ored stripes.
History
One of the best statements avail
able on the origin and history of the
sunf1ower was prepared by Wylie in
1901 and published in Bulletin so of
the Bureau of Chemistry of the U. S.
of Agriculture. This publi-
cation is the chief source from which
our historic information on sunflowers
is drawn.
Probably the earliest cultivation of
lne sunfower was carried on in Spain
about the middle of the sixteenth GEN.
tury. In a description published by a
Flemish botanist about this time the
plant is referred to as of Peruvian
origin. This belief became general
because of the fact that Spanish
expedition had visited Mexico and
Peru short time prior to this date
md a number of new plants had been
collected in these counties and brou-
yht to Spain. Peru was probably not
he original source of the sunfiower
Is explorers who went there later
'eported that the natives were not
amiliar with the plant.
DR.. Asa Gray, who has carefully
tudied the history of the sunfower,
ays, Judging from the breadth of
he flower heads soon after its intro
uction into Europe, it must, in abb
riginal hands, have assumed much |
f the abnormal development which /
distinguishes the cultivated sunfiower |
rom its wild original of the western |
lans." One European botanist reports
he results of count made in 1871,
yhich showed 1852 seeds in one head
rays conclusion are borne out by
he observations of Champlain who
lade explorations in the Georgian
lay district in 1915. He found the In
he seeds were used for food to some
xtent, and oil, made by crushing the
eeds, was priced by the Indians for
Sc on their hair.
Development of Varieties.
Growers in Russia have been active
i developing varieties of sunfowers.
egetable oils and oily foods have
n important place in the Russian
let, and this created an active de-
land for sunflower seeds at nearly Il
ate. AS early as 1880 sunfower oil
as produced in commercial quanti-
es in Russia, and important indust-
es based on this production have
cen built up.
AS a result of this demand, three
arieties were produced and are gen
ally grown in Russia. These are a
rye white-seeded sort, a variety
ith small dark seeds, and an inter- !
ediate variety with striped seeds.
/ the United States the last-men- /
oned variety, under the name Of
ommoth Russian, is the one most I
grown and was used in the !
SITS reported in this bulletin.
inflowers investigation In Other
States.
A study of the publication of the
pertinent stations of the United
ates reveals the fact that very lit
: work has been done with sunfiow-
S. 1t also points out the further fact
at practically all of the investiga-
)ns reports were planned to find out