Sugar planter. [volume] (West Baton Rouge [i.e. Port Allen, West Baton Rouge Parish, La.]) 1856-1925, 1868-07-25
THE CASTOR OIL BEAN.

the lands are not as fertile as ours, the
yield per acre is about twenty bushels,
worth in st. Louis market, at the last
quotations, 1896 to $425 per busbel,-
The cultivation of this plant requires far
more labor i IN the North than it does in
the Southern States, while the result is
not over one-half. But it pays the farm-
er handsomely for bis trouble, neverthe
}less. 1t is astonishing that more atten-
ton has not been paid to its cultivation
in this State, and, we might add, all the
Southern States. All who attempted it
made money, and there is plenty more to
be made if people will only get I'd of
their old habits and ways of thinking.
Last Saturday we paid a visit to our
fellow citizen, Col. j. Y. Durable, fot the
purpose of examining his crop of the
castor oil bean and were richly repaid
for the trouble. This is the first attempt
of Col. Durable in cultivating a crop Of
this kind, and be was not willing to put in
more than twenty acres this year, de.
pending entirely upon the results for
more extended operations next season,
should it prove satisfactory. So far he
is satisfied. He has planted in three
ways for the purpose of ascertaining, il
possible, the best method In one piece
of land, alternate rows Of corn and beans !;
then rows ofcorn and u of beans, and
then a solid patch By itself. The latter
appears to flourish best, OF least the
stalks were higher aud had more spikes,
many of the stalks being over ten feet
high, aud heavily clustered with beans.
As the manner of cultivating this pro
life bean may be new to many of our
readers, we give that employed by Col
Durable, which must be nearly correct
the evidence being the luxuriant crop now
in bis field. The land is plowed in the
same manner as for corn, early in the
month of April, the rows six feet apart, and
the seed dropped, three or four together,
leaving a distance Of about seven feet
between each dropping Of seed. This
distance is necessary owing to the spread
ing Of the branches, which, if not done,
they will interlock and much of their
proliicacy be lost. Covering with a hsr.
row is best. The seed should be soaked
in tepid water several hours before
planting. But a few days are necessary
for the young shoots to appear above
ground, when a blowing is necessary,
billing up, however, but slightly. then
thin out to one good stalk. alw avs taking
care to leave the heal,hiest. Should there
be any vacant places, where the seed has
failed to appear, transplant some of the
young shoots instead of planting fresh
seed. When about two feet high, give
the crop another good blowing, billing
up we'll, and then it can be " laid by."-
In the North and West five or six pillow.
ings are generally necessary to ensure a
crop. The pods begin to open in the
month of July among the lower spikes
first, when they should be removed from
the stalk at once and taken to the drying
house, where the process of curing is car.
ried on with but little trouble beyond col
lecting the seed as fast as the pods p
They must not be dried in the open air.
every attempt at curing the bean in that
manner having failed. Care must be
taken to watch the opening Of the pods
on the parent stalk and have them re-
moved at once or much of the seed will
be lost. and what is far worse they fall
upon the ground, take root almost imme-
diately and commence growing. This is
annoying to the farmer who does not like
to have his field covered with young
plants growing in every direction This
is better understood when we inform our
readers that the pods open with a deton.
alton like that of an exploding percussion
can. and throwing the sced a disfance oe