Milford chronicle., 1895-04-12
Aow pgANuTs eRow.



Most residents OF tho north have wholly
erroneous ideas about vno way IN which
peanuts grow. II questioned on the sub.
iect nine persons out Of ten would proba-
( bly, declare with confidence that this TO-
vorite luxury Of circus going youth is a
root developments, much as potatoes are.
That peanuts, when ripe, are dug out OF
7 the earth IL true, but they begin opera
tions in the air and never have anything
to do with the roots Of their parent vine
From bulletin issued by the department
Of agriculture is CLEANED the following in
formation on this interesting subject:
The blossom Of the peanut is at the
end Of a long, pedicellike calyx tube, the
oyary being at Che base After the iall Of
the flower, the peduncle, or spike, elon-
gates and bends downward pushing sew
eral inches into the ground, where the
ovary at its extremity begins to enlarge
and develops into pale, yeilowish, wrin-
kled, slightly curved pod, often contracted
In tho middle, containing from one TO
three seeds. Should the spike by acct
dent not be enabled TO thrust its point in
the ground within a few hours after tie
fall Of the flower it withers and dies.
more or less abundantly scattered over
the roots Of the peanut plant are warts Of
about the size Of a pinhoad. or larger. These
tubercles, as they are usually called, play
very important part in the life history
Of the plant. Within them, while in a
fresh or growing state, may be seen, by
the aid Of a good microscope, myrinds Of
very minute organisms These bacteria
like bodies live partly on the substance
supplied from the roots, but at the same
time they take from the air and elaborate
for the use Of the plant considerable guam
Titles Of nitrogen. Nitrogen is the most
expensive element that must be supplied
to plants in fertilizers. The organisms
living in these porous tubercles take it /
from the air of which it com
prises about tive-sixths, and supply it to |
the plant without any cost. In this way a |
total amount Of nitrogen is often acquired /
BY the plant far In excess of the amount |
analyses show to be present and available /
IN the soil.
Like many other extensively cultlyat-
ID plants, the peanut has not been found
n truly wild state, and hence it is diff
'ult to fix upon It's habitat. So widely has
{ been cultivated in eastern countries thai
ONE botanists have attempted to trace its
pread from China and Japan, thence
trough the East Indian islands to India,
nd thence to Africa, where In the seven
zenith century it was SO extensively Uulti-
ated and had become such an important
rticle Of native food chat the slavedealers
oaded their vessels with it, using it as
bod for their oargoes Of captlyes. But tho
Teight Of authority seems to be in favor
( accepting it as a native Of Brazil thus :
dding the peanut to the four other plants ,
commercial Importance that America
as contributed to the agriculture of the -,
'orld-namely, cotton, Indian corn, 20 !
ito and tobacco Though it may DO a ma.
We Of the western continent, 10 early be-
anne a largely cultivated plant in the {
ariner portions of the old world, occupy /
ig distinct place in the agriculture OF s
lose countries long before its merits were L
cognized in the land of it's origin" 8