Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1892-03-31

yield Of the crop in Texas than there
Taking everything into consideration, ne
| decided that there could not be less than
| % per cent in favor Of Texas.
| Mr.. Rindel felt sure that with these ad-
vantages on our side there could exist no
reason why Texas, should she go into it
Alright, might not command the castor oil
business, and eventually drive St Louis out
Of the ring, St. Louis then being the point
at which near all the castor oil of COM
merce was manufactured. He made up his
mind that under conditions so favorable we
could manufacture castor oil and ship it to
st. Louis, paying all frelghts, and there
sell it with good profits at figures entirely
below the lowest that St Louis had yet
been known to set Then it would give US
diversity of industry well calculated to
put money into the hands of our people in
general and our farmers in particular. Our
farmers had everything on their side in
their advantageous climate, superior soil,
etc, etc.
thought, but there hes been a strong cur
rent against him. He began the introduce
ton of castor-beau culture in Texas in 1886
the first year of the great drouth-and
they, like everything else of that period,
did not meet the full expectations of the
people AS result, his fondest hopes were
not realized in full; still he can yet see no
reason why Texas should not be the verita-
BILE home of the castor oil bean industry.
His observations and experience confirm
him in the belief that when our farmers
give the same attention to castor-b bean cul-
ture that they devote to cotton, that they
will find in it profit entirely equal to that
on cotton, even at ten cents a pound.
Some five or six farmers who planted
castor beans for Mr.. Ripdel in the first year
of his movement, found them more profta-
bic than cotton, and have continued plant
ing up to this time. Many others aclznowl-
edge that the beans would be more profita-
BILE and more sure than cotton, but hesitate
TO step into the industry on account of the
fact that the crop demands attention in the
| hot weather of summer
AS farmer. Mr. Rindel says, he would
certainly take the castor bean for his main
crop in preference TO cotton. He would
be sure to leave cotton entirely out so long
as it failed to command fully 10 cents
pound. He would, indeed, prefer castor
beans at only 81 % busnel to cotton rang
ing at 10 cents pound. Here are the
| figures upon which this preference is
| based:
Cotton, $50 pounds per acre at 10 cents
pound, SIS.
Castor beans, 20 bushels at sl.25 per
bushel, S2Ji
The beans could be produced with one
third the trouble and labor necessary to
produce the cotton, and would be over with
the first fall frost, while cotton keeps you
in the field about all the year.
Mr.. R lndel says these figures will strike
the average farmer as truthful and intel
ligent maximum basis, while it is an actual
fact that, in the neighborhood of Weather
ford, there has been gathered forty bushels
| of castor beans to the acre, yet this may be
reckoned as far above reasonable expecta-
tons generally.
For culture and management of the crop
we refer the reader to our article of last
week, based on statements made by Mr.
Rindel, also for what he says relative to
effects of the crop on land.
If we can capture the industry wholly,
continues Mr.. Rindel, we will have mar
ket for all the beans we can raise, but if we
do not succeed in this we might soon be in
condition like the cotton planters. So
long as its high price prevents the large
consumption of castor oil as a Iubricator,
there may be some danger, but if it could
be produced cheap enough to make it as
economical for lubricating heavy machinery
as other oils, IL would undoubtedly super
sede them, and there would be no limit to
its demand on the markets.
We may add in conclusion that while Mr.
Rindef's figures have not made SO good
showing in favor of the castor oil beam in
comparison to cotton, as we would have ex-
pected him to make, they are certainly very
safe. He puts the selling figures of beans
at about the lowest figures known (they
often range at from Sl.75 to s19O per
busheD, while he has put cotton at about
the very highest figures. OF course he has
not taken the cotton seed into account, but
there are other things in favor OF the castor
bean that would about set off the cotton
seed. There is one thing specially in favor
Of the castor bean that we have often
noticed in Texas-no crop that we are
aware of so well withstands the effects of
drouth. Last fall, when our worst drouth
was on, and near all vegetation was COM
pletely parched up, the castor beans grow
ing as ornaments in peoples yards, and in
many out of the way places, looked as
fresh and green as they could have locked
IN the midst of rainy season under the
equator.
We may further add that there would be
no trouble about market; the Weather
ford mills would take all the beans that
could be raised in this part of the state, pay
sing The St. Louis market price for them.