Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-03-07

should be had to the crop Of the previoul
year. Peanuts require clean SON. tue.
will follow any hoed crop 20 advantage
with the exception, perhaps, OF sweet pOIa
toes. Corn land is generally preferred Al
tide-water, Virginia, much Of the lsnd was
heavily married in former years, aud when'
| ever this is the case an important ana Per
| hans the chief requisite TO success has beer
already provided. The peanut viii mol
fruit except on a calcareous soil The vines
NAV grow with the greatest luxuriancer
covering the whole ground, but in the alb
sence of lime or mari the pods do not fill;
they turn out to be nothing more than what
is popularity called 'pops." If, then, the
land has not been previously married OF
lined, it will be necessary to apply say a
hundred and fifty bushels of mari, or fifty
bushels of lime, to the acre. The kind OF
lime chiefly used of late years is burned
oyster shells, which may be had in
abundance in all the large towns. 1t is
applied in either of several ways,
according to the convenience Of the
planter, and with about equally good
effect. If there is any choice, spreading
broadcast is, perhaps, the best to be done
before the land is plowed; in which case the
quantity should be about fifty bushels TO
the acre. A favorite mode, where a large
surface is to be planted, is to strew the lime
In the furrow over which the bed is to be
raised for planting. In this case a less
quantity will answer, by reason of its being
more concentrated-say twenty bushels.
Other planters, again, who are hurried in
their work, spread the lime over the beds
after the crop is planted at the rate of about
thirty bushels TO the acre. Either mode is
attended with good success; but wherever
it is practicable to have a choice of land
that has been sufficiently marled or lined
in former years, and preserved by iudicious
culture, the best results are found to follow.
In such cases the yield not unfrequently
reaches hundred bushels to the acre. Last
year the writer was told by planter of the
highest character, that on twelve acres of
such land as has been just described he sold
fourteen hundred bushels Of nuts of prime
Quality, besides saving an ample supply of
seed. The product ranges from the guam
tity stated down to twenty-five or thirty
bushels to the acre, according to the skill,
or want Of skill, of the planter--a fair aver
age of the whole being estimated at fifty
bushels.
Few persons make peanuts part of reg
ular system of rotation, but the pre-eminent
success of a gentleman who has followed
the plan is worthy Of special reference. Mr..
Henry NJ. Butts, of Southampton county,
Virginia, has for years pursued the follow
ing course: The lot intended for peanuts,
say next year, has been seeded in stock peas
this year, the vines to be plowed in some
time in September. The vines afford a
great quantity of vegetable matter, which
becomes thoroughly decomposed by the
time for planting the crop. When the sea-
son for planting is at hand, the ground is
re-plOwed and laid off, and ten bushels of
lime and hundred and fifty to hundred
and seventy-fve pounds of superphosphate
strewn in the burrows to be ridged over.
The year following peanuts the land is
planted in sweet potatoes, with a liberal
dressing Of stable manure. The third year
it is laid down in stock peas again, to be
followed by peanuts as before, always re-
peating the lime and superphosphate. The
crop of Mr.. Butts averaged, one year with
another, not less than hundred bushels to
the acre. Last year from ten acres he sold
thirteen hundred bushels of prime peanuts,
entirely exempt from ''pops," and worth
three dollars per bushel
CULTIVATION.
Having selected the ground, it is to be
plowed with One-hOTse plOw in March or
April, to a depth not exceeding four or five
inches. The advantages of shallow culture
will be apparent from the fact that the pc
dUncles continue to penetrate the earth IN
til a firm bed is reached on which to depos-
it the nut; and the still further fact of the
ffsov.laI
will appear when we come to treat of that
branch of the subject.
About the 10th to the 25th of May is the
time for planting. If the land is thin and
needs manuTing, open burrows three feet
apart and strew in a hundred to hundred
and twenty-five pounds of Peruvian guano,
or from hundred and fifty to two hundred
pounds of superphOsphate of lime. The
former is generally used, because of the
greater certainty of getting pure article,
but nothing can be better than the latter
when well prepared. The furTow is then
to be ridged over and the whole surface
thrown into three-feet beds, which should
be reduced to within two or three inches of
the general level Of the field. Then mark
off the rows, and at distances of eighteen
inches plant two seeds, covering them an
inch to an inch and half deep-nOt more.
In ten days to two weeks, according to
the weather, the young plants begin to
come up. As it is very important to get a
good start, the missing hills should be re-
planted at the earliest moment. Il is the
custom of some planters to put an extra
quantity of seed in every fourth or fifth row,
to furnish plants for transplanting, if
needed if not needed, they can be thinned
out.
As soon as the grass makes its appear
anCe, give a light blowing, throwing the
earth from the vines and following with
the hoe, thoroughly removing all the grass
from the row. PlOW again as soon as the
grass reappears, this time using a double
shovel or cultivatOr, and the hoe as before
directed. If the season should prove to be
very wet, third working may be neces-
sary, making Use of the cultivator and hoe
again.
Next comes the time for laying by, the
viues having extended nearly half way
across the space between the rows.
This is done by running a mould
board once in the middle between the
rows, and drawing the earth up to the
rows with the hoe, care being taken
not to cover the vines and to disturb their
position as little as possible, as the fruit will
now be forming. 1t will be necessary also
to guard against making the bed too high.
When there is grass in the row it must be
pulled up by hand. Soon after this the
vines viii cover the whole ground, and re-
press every other growth, unless it may be a
chance weed that escaped notice at the for
mer working.
HARVESTING.
The time for harvesting the crop is from
the 18th to the 30th of October, Immediately
after the first frost. When the crop is for
ward, or when it is an object 10 get a pOr-
lion of it early in market, the operation
may be commenced in the latter part of
but the longer the vines contin-
ne to grow, the greater will be the number
Of sound pods. Select a time when the
weather is settled and favorable, and with
.hree-pronged hoes, loosen the vines along
,he rows. Hands follow the digger, pull up
.he vines, shake the dirt from them, and
cave them in the same place. In dry wealth
er they will be sufficiently cured in two
lays to be shocked. Showery weather,
,hOugh it may somewhat delay the curing,
lOes no injury.
One of the advantages Of shallow culture |
becomes apparent in harvesting. When |
he fruit is deposited only few inches be- |
81, a., ,-;,,o = f.o,,