Sunflower Seed as Cattle Food.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1425, 22 June 1899, Page 4

Sunflower Seed as Cattle Food.

No great amouii-. c-r .-j—-y—6 tio exists as to the value and economy c-r sunflower’s as iootl fox oov-s (;ays me “ Country Gentleman ”) v It questionable whether tins pram is a desirable substitute foryreps now in common use, or wherher it has qualities which would cause it to take a peculiar place :n farm economy. To be worthy of special consideration this plant must either surpass the common fodder plants in the quantity o 1 f°°d materials produced per acre, cr ix must furnish in abundance necessary food constituents not otherwise- easily and sufficiently grown on the farm, and wnicn must therefore be purchased. We do net see that sunflowers do either 03 zntte things. In 1893 the < Intario Agricultural College attained 16,6001 b per acre ci green heads, and in 1894 and 1895 an average or 93001 b. The vield of green heads in Maine in 1895 was 12,7201 b. In. Maine the yield of drymatter was determined, being 20401 b per acre, the percentage jjerng 16* r -ho largest crop in Canada usc a similar composition, the yield or ary matter was 35561 b. The New York station raised at the rate of 50 bushels c-i seed per acre, weighing 11501 b. It cannot be said in the light of these data that tue sunflower plant is remarkable for its growth. Judging by the records so far made, it is inferior in this respect to alfalfa, corn, and clover, and not superior to several varieties of fodder crops. But does this composition justify i.s production ? Sunflower heads, or even toe seeds, cannot be considered substitute for the nitrogenous cattle :ooas. such as the oil meal, gluten, etc. The Maineraised sunflower heads contained only Imb per cent, ot protein in theory matter, and the air-dried seed grown in New York had only 15.9 per cent. In this respecx, then, the sunflower is not especially superior to oats, and is inferior to uran and middlings. Sunflower seed dees, however, contain much oil, that raised in New York showing 20.5 per cent., and the water free heads grown in Maine 15.5 per cent. it it is ever demonstrated that there is an advantage in feeding a ration ricn in vegetable fats, then.sunflowers may assume an importance which they tic not now seem to have. In our opinion, the proper way to manage a sunflower crop is ic put the cut green heads into the silo in connection with scree other crop, such as corn and peas, cr horse beans. Canada experimenters report (hat cow* eat green .sunflower neacs readily, and we can testily fast Glib wan the ease in Maine. When fed in large quantities they cause purging. In view of this fact, a mixture with other iooers in moderate proportions, is necessary.

Messrs AY. Wefidel and,Co., in their produce circular of the stn May, write, as follows respecting the butter market • “The demand for Australian and New Zealand butter is very sluggish, most buyers declining to. make fresh purchases this season, while others have already made arrangements for supplies from Ireland and the Continent. Prices are down 4s on the week, and choicest brands are selling at 00s to 925, while finest and medium grades make from 84s to 88s. Owing to the slackness in tlie demand, combined with the lateness of the season, a portion of the Warrigal and Nineveh butters is going into cold stores. The quality of the bulk of the brands by these two vessels is not so good as it was. The. butter lias suffered from heat before shipment, and being Australian'autumn make, is, of course, not so good as it was in the spring. The New Zealand butter by the Otarama has been only just landed, though she arrived cn April 22nd. M