The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1893-08-08
HOW TO GROW PEANUTS.
RALEIGH, N. @.

Mr.. EDITOR THE PROGRESSIVE FAR
MER of July 25th has an article from
w. B. Smith, of Wyatt, N. O., asking
some one who has had experience in
growing peanuts to state, through The
PROGRESSIVE FARMER, whether it pays
as a money crop or for stock, what
kind of land is best adapted to their
growth, best kind of pea to plant, how
to cultivate, etc. This crop is known
by many names, viz: COOLERS, peanuts,
g~roundpeas, penders and groundnuts.
The original name Of this American
plant is g%roundnuts or peanuts.
The agricultural statistics show that
we grow the greatest variety Of crops
in North Carolina of any State in the
Union and have a greater variety Of
ore than any other State. Sometimes
it is alluded to as the specimen State.
l believe that I was one Of the first to
begin the cultivation of a peanut crop
in this county as a money crop, or for
stock. 1t is a very pretty crop, but 1
can't say as to the best methods of cul-
tivation except upon such land as We
have in this section of the State. 1t is
needless to tell a farmer that the land
should be we'll prepared for any crop.
The rows should be 81 feet apart for
the large or running pea, and 8 feet
for the small or bunch pea. Plant
about the time we plant cotton and
watermelons, with two peas in a hill IS
inches apart and cover about one inch
deep. The peas should be sheiled to
plant or you can't get a uniform stand.
Cultivate as fat as possible, and the
last blowing should be done with a cot
ton pillow with only the point and near
ly wornout sweep, one furrow to a
row.
AS to what kind of peas is best to
plant depends upon whether grown for
market or for stock. The large or run
ming pea yields more vines and fewer
peas with us generally than the small
or bunch pea. The small pea is gener-
ally the surest crop with us, less ex-
pense to cultivate and to harvest, and,
in my Judgment, is the best pea to
grow for stock.
AS to what kind of land is best
adapted to the growth of the crop, of
course farmers know that poor land is
not very we'll adapted to the growth
of any crop. Our land here does not
have the reputation Of raising as good
crops as in the eastern section of the
State, and many of our people are of
the opinion that gray or sandy land is
best to grow peanuts, but that is not
true With us. Light land makes more
vines and pops, as we call them, and
sandy land makes a bright pea, but a
gray land with a clay subsoil is the
safest land for a pea crop, as it is for
almost all crops.
AS to the best fertilizer to use, any
standard fertilizer in addition to 800
or 1000 pounds agricultural Or phos,
phate lime, which is found and manu-
featured in North Carolina. Lime is
very beneficial to our land and de,
structive to insects. 1t has a tendency
to stiffen our light land, and Tighten
red land. Other crops grow well after
a peanut crop, especially if lime has
been used, and I think one other reason
is because they protect the land from
the August sun, which is very essen
tial.
At the price peas have sold at for
eight or ten years, and having to go to
the expense of shipping to Norfolk,
Va, (the peanut market) and sell for 3
cents per pound or &c cents per busheI,
did not pay as a money crop. 1t is a
good crop to grow for hogs. The vines
are valuable as hay for beef cattle,
mich COWS, mules and horses. There
is usually a lot of peas left on the vines
by the pickers, which fatten stock very
quickly. They r better for mules
than horses, as mules are less liable to
collie. I have found anything
equal to peanuts for hogs. Lard out
of hogs fattened altogether on peanuts
don't get hard, and don't sell as well
with people whohave never used any
and the meat is of an oily nature. But
soft lard and oily meat can't be used
as an argument against the peanut
crop. Hogs can be fattened on peas
and fed on corr Oh stock peas three or
four weeks before killing and the meat
and lard will be the same as that grown
and fattened altogether on corn.
The price usually paid for picking is
80 or 40 cents per hundred pounds
Hands can make more money picking
cotton at 80 cents per hundred, unless
they + fond of peas. The peanuts
should not be exposed to rain or dew
after plowed up before stacked as they
will turn black and effect sales. When
we get 30 or 40 bushels nnr nnro 90 on