The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1901-06-01
BETTER THAN GOLD MINES.


The singular adaptability of our ma
tive soil to the cultivation of foreign
products was never more wildly DEM
onstrated than in the growth of the
Lima bean. 1t was in the spring of
1867 that this nutritious commodity
pioneer farmers of California. Prior
to this time the only varieties grown
in this section were the small white
navy bean and the Mexican frejole,
the great Lima having been regarded
as luxury distinctly peculiar to the
region indicated by its name. Hence
its introduction was altogether in
the nature of an experiment, says
Pasadena (Cal) letter to the st. Louis
Globe-Democrat.
But, whatever the theory that
prompted the venture, its soundness
was speedily manifested. Within five
years from the time the first Lima
beans were planted in California the
worlds output of the product was i'm
creased from about 100000 to more
than 100000 pounds annually. The
experiment proved to be the founda-
tion of an industry of more substan-
tial and permanent value to Califor-
MIA than the richest of her gold mines.
The district of Carpenteria, an excep-
tionally fertile seacoast valley near
the south boundary of Santa Barbara.
was for a number of years the GEN.
ter of the Lima bean industry. This
locality seemed specially suited to
the requirements of the new product,
and the annual yield increased to an
enormous figure.
Notwithstanding the immense gain
In the total production, however, the
supply was inadequate to meet the
demand, which resulted in the extern
sion of the industry into the neigh
boring colonies of Ventura and Los
Angeles. Here conditions developed
that were quite as favorable as those
obtaining in the Carpenteria district,
and thenceforth the annual output
of Lima beans rapidly increased, un-
til to-day the average yield in south
ern California aggregates some g.
000,0 pounds, or more than three
fourths the total production through
out the world.
In California, the recognized realm
Of the Lima bean is confined to sue
cession of valleys situated within the
limits of 100 miles along the south
ern seacoast. The principal reason
for this lies in the frequent fogs prev
alent in the districts referred to-,
which constitute one of the principal
requisites in Lima bean culture.
The most extensive of these favored
wales is situated in the county of Ven
tura, and contains many bean ranches
of immense acreage. The largest COW
ers an area of 1,500 acres, represent
ing the most extensive bean field in
the world. 1t requires 40 tons of
seed beans each season to plant it.,
and produces an average of 100000
pounds. While the revenue from
such yield is immense, the expense
of cultivating and harvesting 1900
acres of beans is proportionately
large. As an instance, the planting
and tilling of the field in question re-
quires the services of 100 men with
horses.
Originally the Lima bean, like nu-
merous kindred varieties, grew in the
form of vine and was trained to
entwine itself about a pole after the
method commonly pursued in the
east. In course of time, however,
through propagation, this vine was
reduced to a small, densely consti-
tuted bush, after which the bean pole
no longer entered into its cultiva-
ton.
As the cultivation increased, the lat
ter process was found to be inade-
quate, and was succeeded by the
treading-out method. This consisted
of throwing the harvested plants
into circular pen, the ground floor
of which had been packed down to
the hardness of cement. Into this
inclosure band of half-tamed horses
were driven and made to race about
over the crisp leaves and pods, until
the whole was thoroughly pulverized.
After this the waste was carefully
raked from the surface, and the dust
and chaff beneath gathered up and
run through tanning mill, whereby
the separation of the bean was eff
fected. But such original, if some
what plebeian, methods were cventu-
ally abandoned in favor of the more
practical contrivances necessitated by
the subsequent colossal development
of the Lima bean industry.
The latest process in harvesting is
to cut the plants, three rows at a
time, by means of machine fitted
with knives, which pass horizontally
over the surface of the ground, the
implement being drawn by team of
horses. In view of the erstwhile
thrashing floor, the plants are run
through steam grain separator,
which method not only economies