Gunnison news-champion., 1921-12-02
BOTH SIDES OF THE Sun
FLOWER SILAGE QUESTION
Colorado and New Mexico Expert
meni Stations Report on the Crop.
Continued from Last week.
The Nes Mexico Report

The Nes Mexico Report
Experts In southern New Mexico
have demonstrated that sunhowers
wl., yield satisfactory crop on any
sol that produce good corn. While
well drained and asrated fertile, pli-
able loan viii produce the best yield.
many other types Sill pay profits on
the investment.
IL Bulletin No. l25 Just issued by
the Experiment Station at the New
IeNic0 College 0f Agriculture and
Mechanic Arts. - Las Cruces, Prof.
Geo. 4. QueensbsTry, agrOnomIst;
Prof .. G. Cunningham. datTy'man.
ami Prof. Luther Poster. animal hus-
baHdFy, gives the result Of series
Of experiments extending over three
yDars, with kansas grown Giant Rus
sian sInaowers Of 100 per cent germ
iEatl0u and purity in soils varying
from sandy loan 20 sticky g-umbo,
planted at various elevations and
under conditions Of varied rainfall.
Their summary follows:
SuufOwrrs make a mone rapid
growth when seeded afr cool weather
30 the spring than If planted earlier.
Early planting does not produce 80
heavy tonnage or a. succuleut plants
- the later seedlings.
Due 10 their dense growth. the
plants are not bothered By weeds aft
( Ell they attain u height Of three feet
or more.
B An easily worked fertile loan pro-
dgocs the heaviest tonnage
/ Close paintings produce a heavier
tonnage Of finer si!age than widely
spaced plants.
1 The plants will not survive, espcci-
Tally on heavy soils if water is allowed
to stand around them for any length
iof time.
Cattle. sheep. and goats eat the
plants either when fed as 4 soilage
lcrop or As silage.
Cut plants heat readily when piled,
therefore they should be sliced i'm
mediately after removing from the
field
! The silage does not taint milk.
/ For milk and beef production sor-
ghum and sunfower silage have about
the same feeding value.
! On account of their quick growth
+ Ru sian Sunfowcrs serve as an cx-
/ celleHt emergency crop.
Z The college experts say that sun
/ flowers should be planted rs soon as
the soil warns up in the spring;
under ordinary conditions they may
be planted about ten days earlier than
corn.
7 AltEo sunhoweTs do very well with
little preparation of the seed bed,
better results may be expected from
ti,oro preparation. The soil should
b plowed early and worked thoroly
with disc and harrow. Under irri-
rigatiOn better results are obtained by
breaking the land thOroly, irrigating
il, then rc-breaking before seeding
Five pounds of seed to the acre will
make a satisfactory stand. but under
ordinary conditions from eight to nine
pounds should be drilled in 42-inch
rows.
Cultivation should be started early.
as soon as the plants attain sufficient
height SO that the rows may be readi-
ly followed. Ii is seldom possible to
give more than two cultivations with
a stIaddle row cultivator
When cultivation is followed, water
should be applied TO the land as soon
as the plants show signs of willing.
Sunfiowers may be cut for soiling
purposes with a corn knife. when
they reach height of four or five feet
and the cutting continued until the
seds are well formed. Stock eat the
tender sunflowers as well when fed
whole as they do when the feed is cut
up, seldom leaving even the coarser
stalks unless they are far advanced.
Cattle, sheep and goats eat the sun
flowers in the pasture, even though
there were available other pasturage
feeds, the cattle eating sunfowers in
preference to grep oats and the sheep
preferred them to weeds.
Harvesting may be done with eth
row binder, or by hand with a
corn knife. In the standard rows the
cost in each case being about the
same
When the sunflowers are cut they
should be hauled Immediately to the
silo and cut, as evaporation is very
great from their succulent foliage and
stalks. if piled they begin to heat
within few hours Cut sunfiowers
pack more solidly than other crops,
and as a rule, about one-third more
can be put in an equal space. 1t is |
not necessary to add as much water
to them as would be added to other
silage crops
Harvesting should start when the !
plants are about % per cent in bloom. |
At this stage most of the lower leaves |
are till attached and the maximum
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