San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1889-01-07
POINTS ON PEANUTS.
ONE OF THE cURloSITIES OF THE
VEGETABLE KINGDOM.

Peculiarities of the Forming Pod "-CuI.
ture, Planting and Harvesting-The Cali.
fornia Method-white and Red Varieties.
Peanut Oil and Peanut Flour.
The peanut is leguminous plant, botanic
ally known as the arachis hypogea. 1t has
several other common names than that by
which we are accustomed to call it, among
them being ground pea and ground nut In
the southern states it is known as pindar and
gouber, while by the French it is called the
pistache de terre. 1t is generally believed to
be Indigenous to Africa, although there are
five or six species of the genus found grow
ing wild in Brazil. 1t has been successfully
introduced into Spain, has for several years
been raised in the states of Virginia, Georgia,
Tennessee, and has more recently been cult
waited in California A small variety also
grows in China
Roughly speaking, it might he said that
the peanut looks like clover and grows like
sweet potato, but for those who prefer
stricter and more botanical description, the
following may be quoted: The plant is a
ruptly pinnate leaves with four leaflets; the
small yellow flowers are in auxiliary heads
or spikes; calyx with one narrow lobe max
ing lower lip, the upper lip four toothed
and with long, thread like tube; heel of the
corolla incurved and pointed; stamens united
into tube by their ailments, each alternate
shorter than the others; ovary at the bottom
OF the long calyx tube. After the flower
falls away the forming pod is forced into
the soil by the elongation of the rigid de-
fiexed stalk to which it is attached. The
forming pod then rapidly enlarges and forms
thick shelled, indehiscent pod, with a
strongly Melted surface, often contracted be-
tween the seeds, of which it contains two or
three. These have very thick cotyledons
and an extremely short radicle.
THE FORMING POD"
The burying of the forming pod" or nut
by the "elongation of the rigid, defiexed
stalk" is the popularity of this plant, and is
one of the curiosities Of the vegetable king
dom. The flower and leaf stalks arc of en-
tirely different characters. The flower stalk
is trailing vine like that of the melon and
cucumber, the blossoms appearing at short
intervals along its length. The flower opens
O4SSoSAAAo
is not until after the petals have fallen and
the seed pod is formed that the pushing
power is made manifest. Gradually the seed
pod or nut is lifted away from the stem and
a little stalk shows itself As this stalk
grows so the nut at the end cf it is pushed
forward until it curves over like a fish hook,
with the little nut in the place of the point
and barb. Gradually the nut is pushed
down to the ground, and then pushed into it.
If by any accident this is prevented the fruit
ceases to grow.
The culture Of the peanut is not difficult. |
Good corn land is generally selected i'll this |
country, care being taken that there is moth
ing in tie land that would stain the SHELLS. |
In this state a sandy loan that never suffers
from drought should be chosen. In fact, !
good melon land is generally good peanut |
land. The bottom lands on the borders of |
rivers that receive a winter or spring over
flow are admirably adapted for the growth |
Of this nut, The plan of planting adopted in
the south is to mark of the land in burrows
three feet apart, and in these two peas are
dropped at intervals Of eighteen inches and
covered on inch and half deep.
When the nuts are ripe, which will be in
October, the California peanut farmer runs
a furrow on each side of the row of vines
with bull tongued pillow, close enough to
loosen the soil and plants. Then he takes
light and narrow grubbing hoe, digs up the
vines and turns them over to dry, taking care
never to gather in rainy weather or when the
ground is very wet After allowing the vines
to lie in the sun for day the best plan is to
stack them, after the dew has dried, in the
fashion: Drive stake OF four or
Eve fee long firmly into the ground, spread
ing dried grass or hay around it, SO as to
keep the vines from the damp ground Then |
lay the vines around the post with the roots !
inward, taking care to leave a space around /!
the stake for purposes of ventilation, ard !
when the stack is of e proper height thatch it |
with straw cap tied to the stake. Let the |
vines remaiq in stack from three TO five
weeks and then pick the nuts and send to
market,
WHITE AND RED VARIETIES
= A clean, bright appearance Of the pods is
largely to be desired, and to get this the nuts
are sometimes put into a sort of winnowing
cage, which is turned either by hand or
power. There are two sorts Of peanuts
crown in California-the white and the red
and to make the white variety still whittier
the nuts are sometimes treated to sulphur
fumes. The red variety, by the by, is more
easily cultivated and sells for about the
same price. The white variety runs along
the ground, while the red grows upright in
a bunch. The picking is a rather arduous
task, but the labor will in all probability be
modified by the use of machinery.
The peanut is a useful product-much
more so, indeed, than people imagine. We
all know how extensively it is eaten in its
roasted state, but therein by no means hes