Show I I Sunflower Crop i Proves Big Success S SA Sv I Iv v I A new cash crop sunflowers crop sunflowers which someday may rival cornand corn cornand and soybeans in food and mone money value aluc has been harvested In Piatt County Illinois I Sunflowers have long been ro- ro ro-I ro as an excellent source of or protein and oil America Imported I I million pounds of sunflower I oil between 1932 and 1935 mostly most most- I 1 ly for Cor edible purposes But the adoption o 0 of f C t the h he e sunflower as a major crop had been hampered hamper hamper- ed by difficulties of ot harvesting anti and the perishable nature of the seed extract I These obstacles have been overcome overcome over over- over over-I come through the cooperation of ofa ofa a group of ot Piatt Platt County Illinois I farmers and a biochemist AS ks a result of the experimental I raising raising- of acres of sunflowers the crop has been revealed as th the source of an oil superior to olive or cottonseed oil all and the meal j i testing 53 per cent protein hasi has I II untold possibilities as food for tor torI both human and animal use I I I I I i 1 I I I I I The experiment began last year year when Bert Downey a plain dirt farmer of Ion l Monticello Illinois deI decided de de- I tided to lo investigate sunflower J j cultivation tests being carried oni on i In Canada by the University of I Saskatchewan A visit to that laboratory laboratory lar la- la r fired tired him with enthusiasm enthus and he h returned home with enough sunflower seed of a dwarf variety to plant acres Downey Downe called caned a meeting of tho the thoI farmers and proposed that acres be bo planted to determine det ermino if the Ithe crop would exceed the value of or the same acreage In soybeans The farmers agreed and acres s of Platt Piatt County farmland were set setI aside for the experiment The seeds were sown in 40 inch rows with a corn planter Ono One early cultivation was followed by one other after the crop was up Then came a long wait for rain From Grom early June Juno until late August the crop weathered a drouth Late in September with tho the thoI I 7 fields flowered In golden beauty 1 Downey began to worry about the i harvesting He put the problem l Continued on last page Sunflower Crop Cra p Proves 0 Big Success w I Continued from page one ono i I up to Dr Ray Shawl University of at Illinois agronomy engineer I I Shawl c called on the tho Massey Harris I Company farm machinery manufacturers manu at Racine Wisconsin for fort t help On October more than GOt I Int Interested rested farmers and university agriculture nb experts assembled at atthe atthe the Paul Bear Dear farm to witness Illinois Illinois' Illinois Illinois' Ill Ill Ill- I first major sunflower harvest har har- vest With Vern V-ern Everett E at the controls controls controls con con- a n foot 7 through straight-through cUp clipper per combine that had mastered the soybean harvest problem rolled rolled roll roll- ron ron-I ed Into the field cutting a clean foot swath of sunflower heads The combine a self-propelled self model mod mod- el was able to reach every corner I of the field and no tractor being required to tow it none of ot the tho crop was lost through trampling Bin Din after bin of clean seed was emptied into waiting wall trucks which hauled It to the BIn Via plant In Monticello where Ezra levin Ievin th the e I biochemist had developed his solvent solvent solvent sol sol- I vent process for removing the oil from the seeds This method which eliminates the crude crushIng crushIng crushing crush- crush Ing process used also prevents the oil and mash from turning rancid The field yielded l 1 1000 GOO pounds of seed to the acre and Dr Shawl declared that a ton an acre acro could be the average with minor changes In cultivation With sunflower oil selling at 14 cents a pound the cash value of at the crop was estimated estimated esti esti- I mated to exceed that of ot soybeans |