Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1892-03-24

it viii disgust and dishearten any one who
tries the crop expecting large yields with
little attention, is quite as true.
The price of castor beans ranges at the
mill from SIPS to 81. 20 per bushel, and are
always in active demand for cash. Twenty
to thirty bushels can be grown on good
average land of this section with less labor
(but closer attention) than is required to
produce crop of cotton, and the crop ben
efits the lands upon which it grows almost
as much as crop of green heritage turned
under in the fall, say crop of red clover
or field peas.
1t may be further stated that the castor
bean plant has many advantages that the
cotton plant does not possess. For instance,
cotton is often badly damaged or entirely
destroyed by one or more of several kinds
of insects that feed on it, and scarcely a
year passes that the cotton crop in some
sections does not suffer greatly from this
cause, while the castor bean plant is proof
against all manner of insects, and hence has
no insect enemies.
In this drouthy section of country it has
been proved that with proper. cultivation
the castor bean will yield better and more
certain results than cotton, which is recog-
nized as the surest crop in dry weather.
This section has an advantage of at least
one month over Kansas and Missouri for
the following reasons: The beans begin to
ripen here about July Is, at least fifteen
days earlier than there, and our falls are
from fifteen to thirty days later, and beans
continue to bear until frost, consequently a
much larger yield here is the result The
following as an average crop per acre can
be relied on where proper cultivation ana
care has been observed: Twenty bushels
of beans at SIPS per bushel, s25. Two
hundred and fifty pounds, or a half bale, of
cotton at cents, S225U, and if
there is a good crop of cotton
a good crop of beans is also as
sured. Thirty bushels of beans at s1.25,
$3.50 Three hundred and seventy-five
pounds or three-quarters of bale of cot
ton at cents, S33 25. 1t will be observed
that full or over average price is allowed
for cotton, while S1.25 is rather less than
the average price of beans per bushel, as
the price of beans ranges from 81 to s1.9O,
S1.SO now being paid for all that can be had.
As previously stated it requires less work,
than in cotton by the same labor. The
crop being finished when frost comes it
gives the children 4 chance to go to school
at least four months in the year, which is
of importance to our people. Another adj
vantage is that beans bring money earlier
in the year than cotton can be marketed in
any quantity, which is very decided ad-
vantage to small farmers.
There are some things connected with
the cultivation and care of the castor bean
that are Objectionable to the average South
ern farmer, for instance, the beans begin to
ripen about July Is in this climate, and
they must be gone through at least once
week to prevent their falling out on the
ground and loss; and just about this time
of the. year some Southern people would
prefer the north side of the house or the
shade of a bushy top tree convenient to
melon patch.
Castor beans should be planted in this
climate from the goth of March to the 18th
of April, the land being prepared just as it
should be for corn. Plant the beans in
hills, either drill or check, about 3116x4 feet,
and when the plant is five to eight inches
high thin to one stalk in q hill. Poor land
will require closer planting and very rich
land viii be better planted 4x4519 feet.
Cultivate just as you would corn and as
1oy, ,,lo +Io
without breaking the stalks badly. Some
of the bestyields of beans Mr.. Rindel has
ever known were in cotton-felds, leaving
every third or fourth row Of cotton out and
planting in beans, thus showing that the
late cultivation given cotton is favorable to
the beans also; but care should be taken
about blowing too deeply, close to the plants
in dry weather, as they will be made to
shed their fruit thereby.
The spikes or lunches of beans will be-
gin to ripen at the bottom, and when the
lower beans on a bunch begin to turn
brown or crack open, the whole bunch
should be cut of. This will necessitate
going over the field as often as the case de-
mands. In gathering the crops many ways
have been tried. Some straddle a row with
the hind wheels of wagon made into
cart with large box for bed. Some
make the fifth row six feet wide to allow
sled to pass between, while others go
through with sacks like cotton picking,
which does very well for small crops, but
for large fields one of the two first men
toned ways is preferable as being much
less laborious.
The best place to spread the beans for
popping is plank floor inclined to the
south and closed on the sides with canvas
or plank some four to six feet high to pre-
vent the beans from popping of, as they
jump considerable distance sometimes,
but most of those who raise beans here, as
well as in Kansas and Missouri, use hard,
clean dirt yard and arrange q shed at one
end to pile the beans under when it rains.
The beans will not be damaged by a shower
of rain, but several days of damp weather
will most surely ruin them unless they are
covered, though they can often be saved by
frequent turning and stirring.
When the beans have popped out of the
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