352 
SO UTH KKN C UL T 1 V ATOIl. 
strawberi’}’' aronin. Their dark color gives them a richer 
look, approximaiing (o the iascious aspect of the English 
Hautbois, grown liiere. The berries liavewilted down 
orly a very litt’eTp to this time, Friday 'Horning, May 
the JGih, Yours truly, J. M. Toorburn & Co. 
Thus it will be sceti that just one week after the berries 
svere picked irom the vines, and alter a iourney of twelve 
hundred miles by cart iage, railroad and steatiier, the}' had 
■‘■wilted down ordy a very little ' i have had one thou- 
sand copies of this fruit executed in color, fVoai a pnintitig 
hoping that you will be so kind as to answer me either 
directly or through the columns of the Southern Cvlti- 
vatar : 
1st. d’he probable co.-t of the machinery for rrtaking 
Castor Oil, the manner in which it performs its functions, 
and where obtained 7 
•2nd. Tiie most improved meiltod of culture 7 
3rd. The per centage of pure oil that can be obtained 
from a given quantity of seed 7 
4th. Of the dilferent varieties of seeds which is the most 
profitable] 
Inclosed you will find (he yearly subscription to your 
invaluable paper. Your obedient servant, 
Gf.o. K. Vf. 
O'elou.sas, La., 185G. 
drawn iVoin naiure, which will be furnislied those who 
comply with the terms of advertisement on anotlier paae. 
It h IS been reuiuvked by an intelligent amateur, that this 
strawberry was worth a place in a gentleman's grounds, 
oven if the fruit was not edible, lor the beauty of the plant i 
when in fiovrer attd fruit. I have had no little experience r 
in strawberry culture, having devoted the lest fifteen years : 
of my life aimo.^t exclusively to that one object. 1 ; 
have produced mrmv hundred seedlings, and have in cu!- | ... .... , 
11 I ■ ,^- 1-1 j A .1 ■ I . present communication IS to obtain intormatian in regard 
tivation all the finest varieties ot Enrope and Amt^rica, but ' ^ i . o j u i r i i 
' I to the Castor beau: and you wtl! oblige me by either 
I giving me any such knowledge as you jiossess of the cul- 
{ livarion, yield and profitableness of the jdaiit and the pro- 
j bable cost of machinery for the production of Castor Oil, 
I the value of the oil, the cake or refuse, together with any 
] other items of interest on the subject, or of requesting the 
' CASTOE BEA14-FALMA CHEISTI. 
Editors Southf.rm Cultivator — Y fy object 
tlK 
have tiever seen anything to 
Haitboh Sicdlln'j. 
Colu/iibiis, Ga., Oct. 1. 
coinpare with my new 
C. A. Pn.ABODV. 
A KEW SOUTKEEH GRAPE. 
Editors SouTfiFR.NT Cultivator— Allow me to ac- 1 it'formation from some one wmll acquainted with the rnat- 
know'ledge through the Ctr/Cuctor the receiptof a small box | er. lam of the opinion that the cultivat'on of the plant and 
containing two lunches of grapes, with a piece of the I manufacture of the oil, now so generally coming into use 
wood aud'ieaves. The package was post marked “Wheel- ! in machinery as well as its use a.s a medicine, will prove 
ing. La.,” hut we looked in vain for a caid from the own- | to the tarniers in Middle Georgia a more profitable crop 
er. The fruit was decayed and crushed, the leaves much I than Cotton, noton account of yield, but as requiring less 
torn. From two berries" that were not crushed and the j labor and expense, and that it can be grown upon land 
shape and texture of leaves 1 would take it to be of the 
species of Muscadine; one of the bunches appeared to 
have been veiy large : I could not tell whether the two 
sound grains belonged to that or to the smaller stems. If 
to the former it would be ti splendid variety, wild 
J suppose; of tlie quality I could not of course judge; as 
the fruit had all Lrinented or di'cayed. Berries round, 
smaller than our .Muscadine, black; wood resembling that 
of die entire species of Muscadine, including Catuwba.s, 
Isabellas, &c leaves large, coarse, light colored itudcr- 
neaih; very little lobed. 
The sender h is niy th.-mks, but would confer a ftvor by 
dropping a line ihrongli the j-iosc ofib e, and a still greater 
favor by sending a few cuttings in die proper season, lor 
which 1 would exchange witli liini. iMeanlifnc I shall 
plant theseeti carefully. A C. 
Aikia, S. C . Av.iivi^t, 
CASTOE OIL EEAE. 
Editors Soutmkrn Cut. tivator— Notwithstanding I 
have never had the pleasure of correspondiiig with you, 
! take upon myself die iibeity of asking you a Gw ques 
tions cotiCcriiiiig the culture and ni uiufacture (fi FMIma 
Christi oil It is, T may almost say, indigenou.'? to the i 
soil and can be fi-und in the grratest prolusion upon most 
of the runiiing streams, growing to the height of twelve ; 
and even fi'tecn feet. Ignoranee as to the manner of ex- 
pressing the oil, and cost of machinery has deterred a 
great many from embarking in its cultivation. The cot- 
ton crop tor which v/e have such traditionary I'everence 
has become so uncertain in this section of country tliat it 
is almost impossiide to make a living at it, much less a 
fortune. The siorni of tlie lOtli of August will long be 
remembered, for it has literally devastated our fields, not 
leaving us even the poor pittance of a 5di of a crop. In 
many playes sugar mills, gin lionses and corn cribs have 
been swept away and are now but a nia.ss of ruins. 
I shall not, however, engross any farther your valuable 
time, but will propound to you the fullowisig questions. 
unsuited iioni position and poverty to the production of 
any other crop. 
Some years ago, some gentleman,! think, in Charleston 
endeavoted to induce the farmers of South Carolina to 
enterinto die culiiviition of the Castor Bean and manufac- 
ture of Castor Oil, by procuring seed which lie sold at a 
merely nominal price by the sack or bushel, and by also 
fnrnisliing a Press and fixtures at a low price. What his 
success was. if any, ! am not able to say, nor indeed do 
1 remember the gentleman’s name. 
I am induced to addres.s you, as I have before .said, to 
elicit infoniuidon upon the subject, and I hope some one 
may he alile and wiilingto answer the queries. Itis very 
prob.tble that the cake would mu be as useful ibr feed as 
linseed cake, Out would it nut be manure fur tiie succeed- 
ing crop or for other crops 7 That is a question of some 
'Ome cmi.'-ideration in the expenditure fiir production, &c. 
I have seen in nn' life a few plants of tlie Castor Bean, 
growing luxuririmly and yielding abundantly both in this 
county iind iViikes, but these were planted fir the pur- 
pose of driving awav ^lolos iVom gardens — the roots, it 
was Said, being the “bitter pill.” 
Your attention to this matter will oblige, a subscriber 
“in search of light F .!. Robi.n'su.v. 
L Ojlithorpe cc-o nfij, Ga., 185G. 
[Our fiiend, Dr. Fobt Battfy, who is fully posted oa 
tiiis subject, will reply to tlie inquiries of 3Ir. Robinsom 
and Guo. K. W., in a succeeding number. Will otlicr 
readers, .also, communicate what knowledge they may 
possess on this subject, through our journal 7 — Ems.j 
Grkat Yikld. — Sixteen acres on the Elk Island estate of 
JuLiKN PI.ARKisoN, of Goochland, Ya., produced the large 
amount of six iiundred and forty bushels of wheat — aver- 
i aging fifty -three and three quaiic r bushels of wheat per 
^ acre. 
\ 
