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Show CYRUS W. FIELD'S SUNFLOWERS. They Are, Not Only Tilings of Beauty, ut of Utility as Well. Tears of ecstasy would have filled tht eyes of the now obsolete, but always sssthetw, Oscar Wilde could he havs stood and viewed the field of sunflowers cultivated by Cyrus W. Field on his country estate, Ardsley near Tarry-town, Tarry-town, on the Hudson. The sunflowe-covered sunflowe-covered an entire acre, and with heads heavy and drooping from the recent rain they were just lifting their faces to the morning sun, their bright yellow petals in pleasing contrast with their dark center cen-ter of green and brown. Jt was an array of giant. The tough green stalks woujd have averaged over six feet in height, and some of them towered up to seven feet '" ' But these flowers art not cultivated alone to gratify Mr, Field's sssthetio taste. The man who connected America and Europe with an electric cable is nothing if not practical.' He believes in uniting beauty and utility. So, when he drives out by the sunflower grove, and his love for the beautiful is touched by that sea of bobbing yellow heads, the practical part of his nature finds solid comfort in the thought that these flowers flow-ers are put to good use. Others may delight de-light in the tende orchid or the gay chrysanthemum, with their endless variety va-riety of shades, but these are only fair to look upon. Not so with the hardy yellow yel-low bloomer, which Mr. Field loves so well. - -i When the frosts of autumn shrivel np the petals of the flowers and the center turns a deep, rich brown, then the tops of the flowers are carefully cat and hung up to dry. In about a month the little black flat seeds which" fill the head of the flower nre thrashed out and fed to the chickens in Mr. Field's extensive henneries. Bo, on the days when a fine specimen from the coops lies on his back, nicely browned, in the platter, with his drumsticks lifted heavenward, Mr. Field naturally reflects in the -strain of the familiar nursery rhyme, "This is th cock that ate the seed that grew on the top of my sunflower weed." ' And how gratifying - must be the thought that the beanty of the summer has been transformed into the toothsome breast and tender wing. 5, This reflection might escape the aforesaid Osoar, but it is no doubt a source pf jnuch pleasure to the millionaire who cultivates and admires ad-mires the same flower; v "Do yon sow new seeds for these sunflowers sun-flowers every spring?, was asked of Fred Allison, who has charge of the field. . "Yes," ho said, "we 'plant new seed every year, and put thein in hills at we sow corn. About the middle of September Septem-ber we cut off the tops, hang them up to dry, and in another month they are ready to shell. We mix the seeds with the other chicken feed." "How many chickens do 'you keep?" he was asked. "About two thousand," he said, "as that number takes up all the space in our three houses. From these chickens we gather over three thousand dozen eggs each year. All eggs that the families fami-lies do not use we sell.- There are three families to supply Mr. Field, his son, Edward M. Field, and his son-in-law, D. A. Llndleyand they tise from fifty to sixty dozen eggs a week," , . , ... "Do you keep ducks?" "Yes, we have about six hundred ducks and about sixty geese. We sell what ducks wo don't want for horns use, but the chickens we keep; as the families fami-lies use a great many. The three families fami-lies use from fifteen to eighteen chickens, chick-ens, four or five ducks and about two goese a week." New York Times. |