Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-05-01
THE CASTOR BEAN.
Few Facts Concerning Its Cultivation,
Growth, Variety, Etc, by an OIL
Manufacturer
wEArHERFoRD, TEX, April u. 1890.

| OEOHtnS variety, ETC., Dy an Ou
| Manufacturer.
WEATHERFoRD, TEX, April q, 1890.
Editor Gazette.
Having read the article in your Sum-
days issue on "castor besus,'' I de-
sire to call the attention of your readers
to statement hi.the article that are cal
culated to misisaf,the uniformed.
1. Your rrssSSpdent says that the
ricenus communis, on palma christa;; rs
the lind of bsRns CREAM FIR s3tf6 maui
faotiiSesof cazNF, oil Now ssaccordsag
to th9steS& boo - kbissisA sorreetI but IN
the pubic Iififfssths palma chrisfa is the
large vRflety of ricenus sangufnus, or
red, andzwhich is found growing in gar
dens ana yards for ornament. This
kind VII make just as good castor oil
as tEny, but they do not
pop out, therefore machinery
is necessary to free the seed from the
hulls. They grow too tall and spread
too much, or, in other words, they &C.
cupY too much space for the amount OF
seed they bear and cucumber the ground
with too much trash and woody stems,
while the real ricenus Communis, or
little blue stem variety, IL not open to
any OF these oD1ectl0nS.
2.Your correspondent says that they will
yield sevent-fTe to one hundred bushels
to the acre. In 1886 we introduced the
cultivation OF castor beans in this sec
ton, and while they have never yet pro-
duced such yields, even under the most
favorable circumstances, they have al
ways paid handsomely for the trouble,
and we would say that thirty
hIIoh halls nf
good average yield, and the prices paid
by us has ranged from 81. 25 to 81 per
bushel, an average being about 81 so
per bushel, which IS st. Louis prices, as
we are governed by that market.
8. If a lazy man plants castor beans
with the expectation of making success
he viii be infinitely worse deceived than
he ever was, for, as your correspondent
says, they must be gone through at least
once q week to prevent waste, and il
twelve or fifteen acres are all that an ex-
ceeding smart man can gather in the
main harvest time, lazy man will
hardly succeed.
Lastly. AS to cultivation, the method
suggested by your correspondent does not
address itself to the farmers of Texas.
/. Because We do not bar off corn in this
country, and 2. Because we do not raise
geese, ducks, etc., to keep
the grass out of our fields,
but a more rational culture Of the bean
in this climate (without the aid OF geese
and ducks) would be TO use q double
shovel or oultivator, just as you would
for corn, and cultivate as long as the
plants are not torn too badly oy the
slngletree+Aay until they are waist high,
about the, Same amount Of cultivation
being required us for corn.
1 hand you Asrf5sith copy of an arti-
Gle on the castor bsapt and oil industrysaf
this section and thfGk che matter tlssreL
in contained bout sFspear.gthe facts in
the case.Rs Gag iherhstk5 ~ ~,
We have nsSer YET had encaSh cast9r
beans to ron our mill six month"; in the
year, and dan safely assert that we wiz.
take all thafcan be raised for the next
two or threHyears at Sc. Louis prices. as
FouEs.trHtS, S
~ R.. W-fSDEL, President.