The Waco daily examiner. [volume] (Waco, Tex.) 187?-1888, 1878-11-20
THE CASTOR BEAN.


lion. W. W. Lang;
ESoLEwooD, Nov. 10.--Can you
give me any information in regard 10
castor beans, how planted, produc-
ton, sale &c, also where l can get
tho seed and the best. ANY informa-
tion or papers pertaining to IL will
be thankfully received.
Respt'y, yours,
PHILLIP REIcHERT.
The castor bean is o native of
Southern Asia, and is tropical
plant. II has however been intro
duced into Europe, and North Ameri-
ca and raised in a latitude as high as
that of New Jersey. IN. the tropics
itsometimes attains a hight DISCO feet
in northern ATTITUDES II grows dwarf
ed but prolific. The use of castor
oil Is very extensive, IL being used in
South America for lighting street
lamps and oiling machinery. In this
country and Europe II is used prin-
cipally for medicine. The annual
product has reached nearly 100000
gallons a.year. r 7qraurf I
There is only ono place in the Uni
ted States where it is raised extern
sively, and that Is Southern Illinois,
near st. Louis, one county alone (St.
Clair) producing 100000 gallons an
nually. 1t is manufactured in st,
Louis, where are several large facto-
tories and which furnish regular
market. The price varies however
very much. AT one time the price
of the beans went up to Q and 10 dol
lars per bushcl, then many farmers
went into the culture, and the price
went down in 1876 to $l.90 cents per
bushel. They are now down to S1.Ss
and $1.44 for prime in st. Louis.
A fair yield per acre is about q
bushels, though from our observa'
tions and experiments with the cas-
tor bean, we believe Texas is so mucl
better adapted on account of its semi
tropical climate the yield would b.
much larger. The bean however Al
the present low prices would not bt
profitable in Texas, as the only mar
ket would be st. Louis, and the cos
of transportation precludcs its ship
ment. We regard Texas as the nat
ural home of the castor bean and i
factories could be established the in
dustry would become an importan
one for the South. The oil was man
ufactured by the Confederate gov
crnment during the blockade caused
by the war we understand.
In regard TO the mode of cultiya
ton. II is cultivated in Illinois tn,
same as corn, in hills three TO fou
feet apart, with one stalk in a hill
Between every fourth row space i
left for the passage of wagon 70
gathering the crop. The threshin;
is easy, the beans themselves bein,
exposed to the sun and bursting fortl
of their own accord.
l. In regard to the seed used, tn
kind from which the oil is manufact
ured is the ricinus communis, will
whitish stalk, the red stalked ar
, very common in Texas, not bcin:
used, we think for that purpose
Seed can be procured at any see,
store in st. Louis, or at any of tn
factories, which are glad TO furnish
the seed.
II may be laid down as certain.
That the castor bean is admirabl,
adapted TO Texas. That Texas sol
; will yield enormous crops. Tina
, the crop at even the lowest pric'
, ever reached, 81 40 per bushel 1
very profitable.
That at present prices, with M
market near, the crop would hardl,
, pay. aas7e
That with factories for the manu-
facture of the oil, vast and profita
BILE industry could be created.
We advise our farmer readers I,
experiment with the bean on a small
scale, remembering that the plant i
poisonous to cattle, and therefor,
dangerous, if not properly inclosed
The laws of Illinois prescribe certain
fences and penalties for exposure o