The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1891-12-21
DIVERSIFIED INDUSTRIES.
The PEANUT

The peanut, or ground nut as 1t is
commonly known, is extensively cul-
tivated in all tropical and sub Topl-
cal countries, especially in America,
Africa, India, the Malayan Arclll-
peIago and China. 1t is also known
as earth nut, goobcr, monkey nut,
Manila nut, pistache de terre, and
botanically as arachis hypogpa. The
demand for it and the uses to which
it is applied are increasing constant
w. There are a number of varieties
produced by long cultivation in unlike
soils and climates in different coun-
tries. Two varieties are recognized
in Malacca and Java, a white and a
brown, and the seeds are known as
minyak katjang Coil BEAM. In
America there are four distinct varie-
tes-the Wilmington, Virginia, Span
ish and Tennessee. The Virginia
peanut is recognized as the best for
all purposes, though the Spanish is
the highest grade, the nuts being
smaller but Of superior flavor. Its
commercial value is as food, and
for its oil and oil cake. 1t is only
within a very recent period that the
peanut has gained prominence as an
agricultural and commercial staple,
but its progress has been rapid and
sure, and is destined to rival the po-
tato, cotton, coffee, and tobacco,
plants which have had such an i'm
mense influence on the industries and
commerce of the world. 1t has been
grown successfully for some time
in various parts of these islands,
mainly by Chinese, and was formerly
exported to California.
PLANTING. The first requisite is
good seed, which must have been
kept perfectly dry, as dampness and
fermentation would destroy its ger
minating power. Only plump, per-
feet peas with unbroken skins should
be used: the slightest cracking of
the thin pink skin would spoil the
peanut for purposes of seed.
About twenty pounds of sheled
seed are required for an acre. The
peanut planting time is from about
the middle of May to the middle of
June. The most critical time for the
crop comes Immediately after plant
ing. If the weather is too wet, the
seed rots in the ground; if too dry
it withers and perishes. The growth
is upright until the plant has obtain
ed height of eight or ten inches,
then the pea shaped yellow blossom
appears. AS the flowers fade and
fall the flower stalk curves down
ward, and the legumes or pods are
forced into the soil there to complete
their growth.
The soil should be plowed deeply
and narrowed until in fine filth.
Draw burrows the same as for corn,
two and half or three feet apart.
In the United States the planting is
performed by machine called the
knocker and dotter, which makes the
rows, drops the peas and covers them
at one operation, one hand with a
single horse planting five or six acres
a day. In a week or ten days the
seed will sprout. The culture con-
sists in going frequently between the
rows with special peanut cultivator
and is similar to the cultivation of
young corn. The essential point is
to keep the soil loose and the grass
and weeds down until the vines have
interlocked along the rows, which is
in about two months. After the
plants have fallen over they cover
the earth so thickly as to smother
the weeds and require no further
cultivation. At this time the APP
pearance Of field of peanuts sur
passes all other crops in point of
beauty, and in two months
more will be ready for har-
vest. The very young peanut is
among the tenderest of plants and
the first four OF five weeks is it's most
critical period; cold or rainy weather
would seriously interfere with it's
growth. After this period the planter
may lay aside all fears.
SoIL.-The plant affects a light
sandy or calcareous soil, warm and
dry, not too elevated, not too sandy
or too dry, but containing some
moisture. The color of the soil
should be gray, with few or no traces
of iron to stain the pods. Unless it
possess good percentage of lime in
some form, in an available state, no
land will produce paying crops of
pods, although it may yield large
and luxuriant vines. With proper
cultivating and fertilizing, however,
the peanut may be grown upon some
stiff or clayey lands, and heavy crops
may be produced, the only objection
being that the pods will be stained.
But an ash colored or grayish soil
which is sandy and non adhesive is
the best, and must be well lined or
rotated every fourth or fifth year
with some other green crop. In the
Southern States, mari, oyster shell
lime and land plaster are principally
used as fertilizers, but there is now
a special peanut fertilizer prepared.
A calcarcous soil is indispensable to
successful peanut culture, but if not
so by nature it can be made so arti-
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