Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1892-03-06
rnE cAsroR OLE nEAN.


We are under promise to correspond
emit for an article on castor-oil bean cul-
ture. There is no great deal TO be said on
the subject. The csstor-oil bean is plant
known to botanists as Ricinus communis.
There is but one species, as recognized by
science, but several varieties. An effort has
been made throw the genus into several spe-
cies, but our standard botanists have re-
fused to accept the arrangement. Prof.
Asa Gray, who is, perhaps, our highest bo-
tarical authority, says # is known by the
popular name of palma-christi and castor
oil plant, and by the scientific name of Ric-
mus communis. He then adds: THE only
species but many varieties. Native prob
ably of Africa A sort of tree, but cultl-
waited in temperate climates as stately an
nual for its seeds, from which castor-oil IS
expressed; and in ornamehted grounds for
its magnificent foliage; the palate and pal
mately seven to eleven-cleftle leaves are from
one TO two feet broad"
There are two varieties very common in
Texas-the largcst-growing of the two
bears red seed-pods ana large seeds, or
"beans,' while the other, considerably
smaller in habit, bears seed-pods of dark
green color and much smaller seeds. The
latter is the variety cultivated for castor
oil, owing to the fact that the seed-pods
open more readily than do those of the
red-podded variety.
You will find the castor oil bean growing
volunteer along bitches and washes in all
parts of Texas, where it sows itself and
continues from year to year. Drouth does
not seem to affect it III the least. These
facts. had we none other. would be enough
to convince us that it might be made
grand crop in tho Lone Star state, though
we are not forced to depend upon these
facts alone. 1t has been quite extensively
tried here as a crop, and with invariable
success. So successful has it proven as 4
crop that q company has seen proper to
erect mill at Wcatherford, Parker county,
for manufacturing the OIL
Than the culture of the castor bean moth
ing could be more easy and simple. The
crop is put in almost precisely the same as
a crop of corn, and cultivated exactly the
same way. In the harvesting there is
something little different, owing to the
fact that the seed-heads do not all rlpen to-
gether. On this last account it is neces-
sary to go over the field two Or three times
a week and cut off the heads giving indica-
tions of ripening. If left on the stalk after
this stage the beans will pop out in the
field and be lost. To favor gong over the
patch to gather the ripening punches the
space between the third rows is usually
left wide enough to admit passing between
them with mule and sled to haul out the
punches cut and thrown into the sled-box.
The crop is threshed out by sunshine. A
space is cleared of on the ground, after the
manner of an old-fashioned ''threshmg
floor" and the gathered pods Spread upon
it. In day or so the sunshine will have
popped out all the beans. The stems are
then raked off and the beans passed through
q common tanning mill, which clears them
of hulls and other trash, leaving them
ready to sack for market.
The castor bean yields well, and the
beans sell fat a price sufficiently high to
make the crop pay better than either corn
or cotton. We suppose seed might be had
at Weatherford.