Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-02-13
BY DIR. ANDREW M. SOULE

rule, further covering is not neces-
sary. If the season is dry, then the
use of a weeder to cover the grass
seed in the soil would be considered
good practice.
Fertilization at the time of seed
ing is not necessary. We have had
the best success by sowing grass
seeds by themselves rather than
with a cover crop. In your situa-
ton, l think I would try seeding
orchard grass in wheat at the time
indicated. 1t is desirable of course,
to get the wheat off the land as soon
as possible. You should not Craze
the orchard grass this spring. Give
it plenty of time to establish itself
and make a good top before animals
are turned on it. You should sow
from thirty-five to forty-fiNe pounds
of seed per acre and cut it for hay
when it is in bloom. 1t is one of the
hardest grasses, and is well adapted
for cultivation in your section of
the state. 1t is a quick grower, and
well-relished by stock. 1t bears re-
lative close grazing. 1t is a grass
that is very widely cultivated.
Growing Sunflowers for Market
L. F. c., Alamo, Ga, writes:
I wish information in regard to
sowing sunfowers fer market.
Please give me advice as to the
preparation of the land, cultiva-
ton, fertilization, time of plant
ing, gathering and preparing for
market. What is the average
IL nd al xx-Ioo iS
the price paid?
Sunf1owers will grow on almost
any type of land. The richer the
land, the larger the crop and closer
the rows may be. We suggest when
you attempt to grow this crop under
field conditions that the rows be
made four to six inches apart. On
thin land, we would give wide spac-
ing. If a large yield is desired, fer
tiliZation will be an advantage.
Three hundred pounds and upward
per acre of formula containing 3
per cent nitrogen, to 8 per cent
phosphoric acid and 8 to per cent
potash will be found desirable. The
fertilizer may be put under the drill
row before the seed is planted. The
yield obtained from sunt1oWers va
ries materially. From forty to sixty
bushels per acre is not an uncommon
return. Over 100 bushels have been
gathered from an acre. Sunflower
seed should be planted as soon as it
is warm in the spring. You would
handle them just as you would han.
die any other cereal crop like corn.
The idea is to keep them free from
weeds and trash. Sunflowers should
be spaced about two feet in the drill
row. Thicker planting will no doubt
be necessary, but thinning out to the
distance indicated will be the proper
practice to pursue.
Sunf1ower seed is of special value
to poultry raisers. They are rich, in
oil and protein, and so are much rel
ished by fowls. In foreign countries,
notably Russia, the sunf1oWer is
grown on an extensive scale. The
oil is pressed from the seed and
used for food purposes. The residue
is, of course, made into a meal for
live stock. SunfoWers should not
be harvested until the seed heads are
mature and well dried out. The seed
heads are then cut off and placed I'M
der a shelter, where they will dry out
further. They can then be easily
threshed. The seedsmen will likely
buy a supply of seed from You next
fall. Some of the poultry raisers in
this state might also be interested in
buying seed. Probably you could ar
range to feed a part or all of what
you grow to your own poultry. No
doubt you could sell some of the
grain locally. There is no market
in this country for sunflowers, so
far as know, and it would be diff
cult to approximate the price on
that account. Sunfiower seed should
be worth as much to the poultry
raiser as grain Of other kinds. Prob