Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-12-18

Some time ago 1 article in THE GA
zErrE on the culture OF palma christi or castor
| bean. Is pima christi and castor bean one ami
| the same thingf Please give me the address oil
| some person eng lged the culture of the
| tor bean; also let me know where could ind q
| market for nv prod let should conclude to &C
I into caste" lean culture. Any further no m
alton through THE GAZETTE would b. thankfully
received. e. D. KEMP.
Last Chance, Tex.-Whar.on P. o.
| The botanical name of tho castor bean
| is Ricinus communis. There Is really
| but one species, though in the course of
| time several rather strongly marked va
| rieties have brnnched off from the or g.
| inHi species. and seed dealers to better
| serve their purpose, have attempted TO
| run these varieties out under different
specific names. Blu; botnnists recognize
only single species One of the varie-
ties is red poided, and seed men have
attempted to put it upon the market
under new specific name as n desirable
ornamental foliage plant, which it Il.
Another variety grows to the height Of
twenty five or thirty feet. and they have
tried the same game OIL that variety.
But it don't work in science-Ricinus
communls is the only castor bean, the
same as Soluuum Tuberosun il our only
Irish potato.
The cuStor beam seems to have first
struck the western hemisphere in Peru
and there the old Monks gave il the local
nulus of pulma christi All DIR vurie les
have sprung from that original intro
duction, hence one variety is as much a
palma christi as Is another. Arcor ling
TO the laws of priority il would seem that
pnlna christi WINS more justly entitled to
figure as the botanical name of the plant
than the name it now bears, given it by
Linnnns, but be that as it may RIcinus
cO:nnunis is now the scientific name of
the castor oil plant the world over.
The smallest growing, blue stemmed
castor bean represents the original plant,
AMI this Is the bean cultivated for Its oil.
The new varieties nuined Yield an oil all
right. but as Il rule the seeds do moi we'll
pop out from the hull-you would have
to shell them out III some way, and that
would cut off your profits. The kim;
cultivated for oil readily pops oLt oil its
beans on exposure to the sun.
We cannot now point out any one In
Texus cu!tivating the castor bean az q
crop, though there are plenty OF such
persons-nOt so many us there should
be, ho~ever. There is a castor Oil mill
at Weatherford, Texas. which woull
take your product ut the best figures off,
erns auywb here, aud no doubt you might
get my Information desired By address,
ing "Castnr Oil Mills, Weatherfori.
Texas We think the concern has err
culars prepared and ready for seud,ng
out. There is doubtless money for Texas
in castor bean culture. A pamphlet on
the cultivation OF the crop. issued by the
st. Louis lead and Oil company is now be-
fnr z s,.lf .
produce wheat or corn will answer for
the castor bean. Where it can be had
a sandy loan may be preferable. Wet
and heavy soils are not we'll adapted to
its successful culture. One important
fact in connection with the culture of
castor beans is, that it is one Of the most
fertiiizing crops raised. In this respect
it surpassrs even clover. Many farmers
say that for fertiiiZing purposes Q crop
raised upon land is worth several dollars
per acre TO the land, OH account Of the
additional fertility gained by it.
''The ground should be put into good
condition for the seed las for other crops.
One thorough blowing and three or four
borrowings with heavy harrow will be
sufficient preparation. If the soil is in-
cliued to he wet 1t should he thrown into
back burrows or lands fifteen or twenty
feet in width, and the dead burrows be-
tween these lands kept open for drainage
off of all surface wuter. This il not
more Necessary for the castor bean than
for any other crop where the land iu-
cliues to wet.
1.-The ground 10 now laid of In rows
five or six feet apart each wav, except
that between every sixth or seventh row
a distance Of about eight feet Is left be-
tween the rows one way to permit n horse
aud wagon or u sled TO puss. for the pur-
pUse Of taking the beans as gathered.
To hurry R~rminat!on the seed Is usually
souked in warm water twenty four hours
before planting. Eight or ten seeds
should he given to zach hill. and at this
rate half bushel will plant from eight
10 ten acres Plant as soon as danger
from frost Is over in spring.
1.-The after cultivation consists in sim
ply keeping down weeds and grass.