The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE. Equal and exact justice to all men, Of whatsoever state or persuasion, religious or political. TUESDAY, JAN. 11, 1887.

Waikato Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2263, 11 January 1887, Page 2

The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE. Equal and exact justice to all men, Of whatsoever state or persuasion, religious or political. TUESDAY, JAN. 11, 1887.

In these times, when everything the farmer produces realises a price that leaves but sin til profit, and in so'iio c ises evHii ;i loss, it is worth whilu to consider whether some departure from the regular groove, from the stock crops of wheat, oats, and potatoes might not be advantageously m-tde iu favour of those products for the growth of which a long summer and a suitable climate afford every facility. Much has been done of lute years to improve the soil of Waikato, and promote the growth of beef by the general cultivation of swedes and turnips, and farmers have gone a step further—have, in fact, recognised the principle we are now advocating, in realising the fact that fruit—raising may become a very valuable adjunct to the cropping of a farm. For fruit, however, ■we must look look mainly to a home market, and as we have seen in the ease of other products, that is very soon overstocked. Another and a very profitable crop, one which can be produced of the best quality and in abundance iu Waikato is tobacco. Fo tli'.s product there should be an ultimited market, but for the want of a purchasing firm in Auckland to "take the produce from the farmer a serious check has been given to the industry. Excellent crops, of the first quality, have been grown by Mr Breo of Jiaglan arid-others, and last year fi ton and a-haif of the •dried leaf was gro\vij by Mr Armstrong, of Tamahere, .on <7, little more than an acre pf land, but he

ooald not obtain a sale for it, and it lay till quite lately, and probably now remains in the bonded store in Auckland, waiting a purchaser. Another product, and one to which attention has been specially drawn within the last few days, has been brought under our notice. For this there is a practically unlimited market, and that outside thu colony. Unlike the case of tobacco, there is no excise duty, and the cultivation of the plant is no novelty, and it grows to perfection in Waikato. This is the sunflower. Writing on the sth inst. to Mr \\. A. Graham, a German firm, of Auckland, draws attention to the opening there is for the cultivation of this plant on a Urge scale, for the sale of its seeds. It appears that sunflower's seed is now largely imported from the south of Russia into the continent of Europe, and that very good prices are obtainable. The seed contains from 35 to 50 per cent, of oil, which is used for many purposes. A friend of Mr Graham's correspondent at home, thinking that the seed might be profitably raised in New Zealand, has foi'warded a parcel of the Russian seed (which is said to be the most prolific variety) to Mr Graham that a practical trial, late as it is, may be made of it this season, so as to ascertain the result and probable cost per cwt. It is late in the season, but the plant is one that grows very rapidly. The sunflower, Mr Graham's friend writes, requires very little attention, and thrives best on good clay soil; it can stand a moderate degree of cold, and does not require much moisture, but thrives well also on swampy ground, ft should be planted or sown two or three corns in a spot, about eighteen to twenty inches apart, and about two inches deep. After the plants come up the weaker ones can be taken out, and are useful as fodder tor cattle. The leaves, too, are isually stripped from the stems with the exception of about four at the top, until the flowers appear. These leaves also are fed to the cattle. The harvesting of the seed begins when the seeds are getting lark. The flowers are cut off with ibout six inches of the stem, and are put into a dry room, when the seeds, ifter a time, will drop out, and hose when thoroughly dry are ready or shipment.

Thus, it will be seen that the ;ultivation of the crop is easy, .hat no special skill or knowledge is necessary ; indeed there are few >f us but are familiar with the sunflower as an ornament to our gardens. What we would recommend is that those desirous of going into the matter should procure a few seeds of the Russian variety, sow them at once in good garden ground, and save the seed for a crop for the next season. The experience of the growth of these few plants would serve them in stead for the next seasons culture. Any one has seen the sunfloworgrowing to perfection in gardens in Waikato for years past, so that there should bn no difficulty in commencing a general cultivation of the' plant. Seed, too, probably as good as the Russian variety can be easily ob tained, and many might try the experiment of planting a rod, or so many rods, and weighing the seed gathered, so as to ascertain the

yield per acre and, though, a small luantity of seed might not be saleible for export, no finer grain for the use of poultry can be had, not even excepting buckwheat, than sunflower seed.

There is little doubt but that tit would be well worth the while of our settlers to give some little attention to the cultivation of what we may call outside products, not of course necessarily on a large scale to interfere with the regular cultivation of the usual crops, but simply as auxilliaries. In the ease of the plant now under consideration the cultivation of the seed is as much a matter of concern for the occupier of a large garden as for the farmer, and it must be borne in mind the larger the quantity grown the easier will it be to obtain a sale for it. Good land or land well enriched will doubtless be required, as all plants, the seeds of which are rich in oil, are exhaustive to the soil.