HORTICULTURE BY IRRIGATION. 



CASTOR BEANS AS AN INTERCULTURE. 



BY W. C. FITZSIMMONS. 



A CORRESPONDENT at Sterling, Illinois, sends 

 the following letter relative to a subject which 

 has a considerable importance to almost every fruit 

 grower who plants an orchard in any part of the 

 country: 



LETTER OF INQUIRY. 



" Myself and several friends expect to locate in the 

 fruit section of the Snake River or Yakima River 

 valleys and engage in fruit raising. I have been 

 looking around for some time for the best crop to 

 raise for a few years until our trees come into bear- 

 ing, and it occurred to me that perhaps the castor 

 bean would be as profitable as anything. Could you 

 not give the AGE readers some information about its 

 culture, yield, prices and market, manner of harvest- 

 ing and the adaptability of it to the arid regions of 

 Idaho and Washington? 



"They are quoted in St. Louis at $1.25 per bushel, 

 and I have been informed they would yield 50 to 100 

 bushels per acre, with good care and cultivation, and 

 are not much more work than corn. If that is correct 

 they would certainly be a very profitable crop to 

 raise." 



Although not distinctly stated with above com- 

 munication, it may be assumed that reference is 

 made to a crop to be grown between the orchard 

 rows. In the first place, if it be determined to utilize 

 the space between trees while awaiting their fruition, 

 a crop should be selected, if possible, which is 

 adapted to the conditions of the locality and which 

 gives promise of profitable returns. 



THE ORCHARD THE MAIN OBJECT. 



The soil and climate of the regions referred to are 

 so exceptional that a great number of crops may be 

 successfully produced there if cultivated by them- 

 selves alone. But the main consideration, after all, 

 is the pushing of the orchard to maturity as rapidly 

 as is consistent with its own welfare; hence such 

 crops should be chosen to plant among the trees as 

 will interfere as little as possible with the orchard 

 growth and development. Above all things trees 

 must not be deprived of the sun; hence any crop 

 growing to a height necessarily making much shade 

 possible upon the fruit trees should not be thought of. 

 To be sure, it is well for the first year or two after 

 planting to screen the tree trunk from the direct rays 

 of a hot sun, yet this may be done much better by 



[This letter of inquiry was sent to Mr. Fitzsimmons to be an- 

 swered, he being an authority on the subject. EDITOR.] 



wrapping with newspapers or coarse burlaps and fast- 

 ening carefully but not too tightly. For this reason, 

 besides others to follow, we cannot recommend castor 

 beans as a suitable crop to be grown between rows of 

 young orchard trees. For the same reason corn is 

 not a proper crop to be thus grown, although it is 

 sometimes so planted. 



RESULTS IN KANSAS. 



A few years ago the writer undertook a somewhat 

 careful investigation of the profits and other condi- 

 tions of castor bean culture as shown in one of the 

 best districts to be found in the United States, 

 namely southeastern Kansas. The country there ap- 

 peared to be well adapted to the crop, and a consid- 

 erable acreage had been cultivated for several years. 

 A recent trip through the same district showed a 

 greatly lessened acreage growing than formerly. 

 The figures of yield and price given by our corre- 

 spondent would indicate a good business; but unfor- 

 tunately no such actual profits can be relied upon. 

 Thirty bushels of beans per acre would probably be 

 found to be a good average yield, and quite likely 

 the real figures would be considerably below that 

 point. Then, too, the castor bean is not a sure crop, 

 one year with another, though in this regard perhaps 

 it is not more hazardous than many others. The net 

 result, however, if the investigations referred to, 

 which were conducted at considerable pains and ex- 

 pense, was that a gross return of $25 to $35 per acre, 

 appeared to be about all there was in the castor bean 

 business at that time and place. There are no gen- 

 eral statistics available showing the profits of the 

 castor bean industry as a whole in the country, but 

 observations covering some years lead us to believe 

 that the figures made above approximately represent 

 the probabilities of that business in tried localities. 

 In localities not yet tested on a large scale, as in the 

 Yakima region, it is not possible to speak with 

 authority. 



POTATOES RECOMMENDED. 



On the other hand, we can recommend potatoes for 

 that valley, either as an interculture or to be cultivated 

 in the open. This crop requires the land to be kept 

 in good condition, does not interfere with the growth 

 of trees in any manner detrimental to them, and if 

 properly cultivated and fertilized will rather add to 

 otherwise favorable conditions for the growth of an 

 orchard. With plenty of irrigating water and with 



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