The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1917-09-28
BIG PROFITS POSSIBLE IN
GROWING THE CAS1ORB BEAN
IN THIS PART Of FLORIDA
Mr.. ]. NJ. Mefert, an Experienced and
Successful Business Man Farmer
Gives Interesting Data
VALUABLE INFORMATION REGARDING CULTIVATION

The Barlow Courier-InfOrmant con
tains. the following letter from Mr.
J. NJ Meffert of this city, and pre-
faces it with the following comments
]. M. Meffert of Ocala, owner OF
the famous Oak Ridge and Wetump-
ka farms near that place, with 5000
acres under fence and 1,200 acres
under cultivation, has written a letter
to the Barlow Board of Trade which
will greatly interest those in this
section who have been looking for
information on the cultivation of cas-
tor beans. Mr.. Meffert's letter fol-
lows:
Your favor of the 18th inst, re-
garding the growing of castor beans
is at hand. In reply will say that
the growing of castor beans in Flor
ida is apparently easy. The native
bean grows everywhere and yields
a fair crop. l have experimental
three seasons with three varieties of
beans. First, the native stock. Next
the Madagascar bean and what / call
the Oklahoma bean, because the seed
was purchased in that country. The
native bean is of mammoth varie-
ty. The Madagascar grows still
larger but the Oklahoma is a dwarf
variety and natures seed very early
and bears all the summer till frost
The bean is very rich in oil. The
seed are small with a very thin hull
while the spikes are not as large as
the mammoth bean, yet it makes up
in numbers.
The Madagascar ana Florida bean
are of a larger size Not so rich in
oil. Bear not so many spikes, but
are very large. This bean does not
pop out as readily as the Oklahoma
and the loss is very small.
The Oklahoma bean must be
watched very closely and the spikes
should be cut once week. The gath
ering of thhe spikes at the right
time is very important. The Florida
and Madagascar beans should be
planted about four or five feet apart
in the drill and the rows seven OF
eight feet apart The Oklahoma bean
about three or focr feet in the drill
and the rows five or six feet apart
OF course this depends entirely on
the soil and fertilization. Where the
sell is rich and fertilizer is used, all
beans should be planted at greater
distance. Two beans to the hill is
plenty. After they are abouut a foot
or so high they should be thinned
out to one stalk to the hill. Guilt
vation the same as corn till the bean
gets large enough to shade the
ground. Then no further cultivation
Is necessary. About every eighth
row should be left and not planted
for a driveway through the field in
order to gather the beans when ma
tured.
There is an unlimited demand fol
castor beans ana at the present high
prices of oil the business should be
a profitable one. My experience sc
far has not proved satisfactory. The
first year ! planted the beans in q
field, about ten acres. Having plant
ed a large crop of corn and vege
tables the beans were neglected; in
fact l thought it was not necessary
to cultivate thief at all, but I soor
found that the grass and weeds were
injuring the growth. The rainy sea
son set in and was never able tC
control the grass and weeds, hence
the crop was practically abandoned
and not taken care Of. Only few
beans were gathered
The next year only planted 9
small acreage. Gave them proper
cultivation and they fruited heavily
but again. neglected the gathering
in time and lost many Of the beans