The Arizona sentinel., 1879-11-22
Castor Bean Culture.

O ycaiS aSo IHcTc was very con-
siderable furry about castor oil bean cul-
ture, and many extravagant statements
went the rounds of the press. Most oil
the farmers i'm Central California who
tried this crop found that it was not as
profitable as they anticipated. They also
discovered that there was much expense
and difficulty in gathering the beans, as
they ripen unevenly. The farmers who
Dave grown the castor bean in the South
ern part of the State have been, as a rule,
more successful, and some OF them have
followed it with profit for years. Their
usual plan is, to make contracts with the
manufacturers of oil in San Francisco,
and the crop is considered a very sure
one.
Reports from some of these Successful
castOr-bean growers, state, that n good
crop on rather dry sandy loan would be
600 pounds TO tho acre; lowlands or irri-
gated lands might yield 1000 or more
pounds. Too much irrigation makes the
stalk grow at the expense Of the beans
and good cultivation is better. Sandy
soil is well adapted to this crop. One
person can take care of ten or fifteen acres
OF beans, and three neighbors who united
their forces might even manage 100 acres.
The soil, in preparing castor beans,
should be plowed early and deeply, and
well narrowed. The rows should be
made six feet apart, and avenues should
be left at sufficient intervals for wagons
to pass through when gathering the
crop. Mr.. Totman of Marysvile states
that he soaks the seed for at least thirty
hours, and then puts them in sack and
buries them in hot-bed until they sprout,
when they are are planted in mellow soil.
Three pounds of seed are required 10 the
acre, and two teams and one dropper will
plant ten acre in day. The proper time
to plant is when danger from heavy frost
is past, putting three seeds to hill, and
covering four or five inches deep on dry
uplands, bat only lightly on mOister
soil.
OF course weeds are to be kept down.
When the plants are few inches high,
pull ont all but one in each hill. Guilt
vate thoroughly, as if for crop Of corn,
using bull-tongue pillow, or a cultivator
with diamond points. If the ground is to
be irrigated, this should be done when
the spikes begin to form, but not later
for it retards the ripening season too
much.
The picking season begins about the
last OF July, the pods beginning to open,
and it continues at regular intervals I'M
til the middle of October or even into
December. The first three pickings are
eight days apart and are the most impor-
tant, though it pays to pick until the
frost kills the plant. Boys make good
pickers, using a knife, and cutting the
ripe spikes, which they load into wagon
to be hauled to the popping ground"
This is piece of ground which has been
made smooth and hard. The Spikes are
to be spread over it at least two inches
deep, lesving a margin Of fully twenty
feet to prevent the loss, and the sun soon
opens them. The husks are then to be
cleaned of, and the beans famed and sacked
as soon as possible, as they lose rapidly IN
weight when exposed to the sun.
After the crop is gathered the stalk
should be cut Immediately, and piled to
dry and burn. volunteer crop can east
" be obtained for at least two successive
seasons. In order to do this, pillow early
and deep, and harrow to keep the weeds.
down. By March the beans win appear
Then mark out cross-rows six feet apart
each wav, and leave a plant at each cross
ing, destroying the rest. II any hill is
vacant, drop seed there. The subsequent
treatment is the same as previously
given.
There is inquiry for machine which
will hull and clean the beans, and so OBJ
viate the necessity Of popping floor"
A number OF attempts have been made.
but they have not proved satisfactory
At present the chief value of the castor
bean appears to be in its certain yield
and easy culture. A farmer with large
family of boys could not readily find a
crop which would occupy their energies
for longer period each season. 1t should
not be tried on large scale, bat with due
discretion and attention to details.-Bul-
letin.
The Sacramento Bee publishes some val
uable hints on children etiquette, thus:
Always say Yes SIR No SIR Yes, papa,