Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1901-12-26
Facts for Our Farmers.


! Ia w I0dJ MAKES pOSSlDlS B05 mann
| teaance of existing conditions and
holds the universe in equilibrium. The
late pasturing of wheat often kills ii
| out and as cheat is a plant indigenous
! to the whole Of the United States, it is
not surprising that it should spring up
and take the place Of wheat when the
! latter is frozen out. pastured, or fails
| to terminate and make a vigorous
growth by reason of using bad seed.
1t is no more remarkable that cheat
should spring up under such circum-
stances than that white clover and
other we'll known plants should make
their sudden appearance in a favorble
year and thcn disappear for an interim
of several years. The question of
cheat turning to wheat has been most
thoroughly and carefully investigated
and F. c. R. may rest assured that
the cheat which you observe comes
from seed that has lain dormant in
the ground and started up under IA
vOrabIe conditiOns.-Prof. 4. NJ. Soule,
| Tennessee Experiment Station.
Castor Beans.
The castor bean is a native of the
East Indies and northern Africa, and
in these countries attains the charac-
ter of a tree, and grows sometimes to
80 or 40 feet in height, but in the
temperate latitude of North America
and Europe it is an annual plant, The
stem is of vigorous growth, erect,
oIo
somewhat purplish toward the top
branching, and from 3 to feet OF
more in height. The leaves are pal
mate, with seven or nine pointed
serTate lobes, smooth on beth sides,
and of a bluish-green color.
The castor bean is cultivated ia
various parts of the world, and per-
haps no more largely than in the
United States. Oklahoma has been
quite successful in growing this crop,
Logan, Payne and Noble counties be-
ing the ones most largely interested
county has a small acreage. and the
crop could be raised with profit in
nearly all parts of the territory.
1t requires considerable hard labor
at picking-time, but not more than
cotton or other crops, and no special
machinery is required for cultivation,
or preparing for maket. The soil is
prepared the same as for corn. and
seed each II to Is inches apart in the
row. Shallow cultivation should be
given until the plants shade the
ground. After this, no attention is re-
Quired until the first crop of spikes is
ripe. This stage is indicated by the
drying of the seed pods, and the tend
ency Of the beans to pop out, and
picking should begin before the pop
ping stage is far advanced.
A box is fixed on runners 31d is
drawn by man between the rows, the
picker cuts off the ripe spikes and
throws them into the box, taking two
rows at time. A piece Of hard soil
is cleared of grass and weeds. and
the spikes of pods are placed here in
thin layer, so that they may dry rapid.
ly. AS the beans pop out they may
be easily gathered up and cleaned
through a tanning mill. The haa0s
should rot be allowed to get wet. and
in case Of rain should be covered.
Three pickings are usually necessary.
The seed pods or hulls, as they are
called, are equal in fertiIiZing value to
wood ashes, and form an excellent
mulch and manure for fruit trees.
No part Of the plant can be used as
food for animals. Horses seem to
have fOndness for the beans, but
must not be allowed to eat them, as
they almost invariably die from cating
even very small quantity of the
beans.
The profits on the crop are not large
generally, IL bushels per acre being
an average yield, and selling at Is
cents to $1.25 per bushel Those who
grow them, however, think a small
acreage of the crop each year de
sirable. By selecting good seed, the
crop may be increased 2 bushels per
acre. One bushel of good seed yields
) OF quarts, or about Is per cent, Ct
the best oil
The castor bean is a crop that is
always salable, and a market is usual
ly found in every railroad town. or
even at the country stores. It is a
profitable crop when grown on sod,
and consequently the settlers in a
new country often plant them on the
new breaking, as this sod crop can be