Howard mentions the story in a letter (#258) to August Derleth, on September 4, 1933.

My latest sale to Weird Tales was “Old Garfield’s Heart”, a short story laid in the post oak country of Central West Texas; whatever merit it may possess lies in its realistic background rather than in the weird development or the plot.

After the story was published he asked August Derleth (letter #275), ca. late December 1933 on what he thought:

How did you like “Old Garfield’s Heart” in the latest Weird Tales? There wasn’t much to the plot, but the background and environment were realistically drawn. I guess I ought to sit down and write a lot of yarns laid in this country, but I’m afraid I wouldn’t be able to sell them.

He also mentioned the story to Carl Jacobi, circa summer 1934 (letter #297):

You ask me why I do not use Texas settings more in my stories. I really should, since Texas is the only region I know by first hand experience. Three of my yarns in Weird Tales have been laid in Texas: “The Horror From the Mound”, “The Man on the Ground” and “Old Garfield’s Heart”. Sometimes too thorough a knowledge of a subject is a handicap (not that I claim to be an authority on the Southwest, or anything like that; but I was born here and have lived here all my life.) for fiction writing.