Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-08-07

the cultivation of the crop. The seeds are
put in the ground in May, late enough to
avoid the latest frosts. Until few years
ago, peanuts were planted by hand, but
low a machine is generally used which
places them in rows three feet apart. dis
tributes the phosphate which is almost al
ways used as fertilizer, drops the
beans as the seeds are often called. in
groups of three, covers them with two
inches of soil and rolls the earth firmly
all in one operation. The cultivation of
the peanut crop is very similar to the cul-
tivation of potatoes. both the 'cultivator."
hauled by horse or mule. and the hoe be-
ing used. Late in July top dressing of
land plaster Is applied. Country-bred boys,
be III north and south, will understand all
this without further explanation; and city
lads, with whom the peanut is probably as
universally popular as with the country
boys, can learn all about the 'cultivator"
during their summer vacations, for il is an
implement that is used by farmers every
where.
An Interesting Growth.
The vines of the peanut begin to bloom
when they are eight or ten inches long.
the blossoms being of bright yellow color
ard very profuse. The flowers, however.
are sterile; that is. they are not followed
plants, even the potato, which, like the
peanut, develops the edible product be-
meath the surface of the soil. Nature is
extremely interesting in her method of
nut. AS the flower fades, sharp-polnted
stem grows out from the base of the plant,
turns downward and buries itself in the
ground. On the end of this stem are form
underground, and the plant needs no hui
man attention whatever from the time of
this pod formation till 1T is ready for
harvesting.
The harvesting takes place late in Oc-
tober early in November. Care is al
ways exercised to get this work out of the
way before frost comes, though IL possible
1t Is put off until just before the first visit
of the icy-breathed visitor from the north.
Formerly peanuts We're taken out of the
ground by hand, somewhat after the man.
ner in which potatoes are harvested; but
progressive peanut growers now use a pillow
with peanut point" which Is run along
side each row so as to cut off the deep
growing tap root After this pillow work
men follow with strong, broad forks, with
which they lift the vines and roots from
the ground and lay them on the ridge of
soil that has been freshly turned by the
pillow. For day the pods are allowed to
dry in the sun; then the vines are stacked
for curing. each stack being built about a
pole that has been driven into the ground
for that purpose. When thoroughly cured
the nuts are removed from the roots some
times by hand and sometimes by machi-
merry. The latter is the quicker more eco
hcmical method, but the nuts suffer from
1t to some extent. and some growers who
wish to get the highest prices adhere to
the old way of hand picking. The ma
chimes are worked by steam power. and
both In appearance and principle are some
what similar to the machines used in
threshing wheat.
At Harvest Time.
Besides the machine for picking the nuts
from the vines. still another has been in
troduced. 1t is called 1.-THE blower" and
its function is to grade the nuts and free
item from whatever impurities have been
lett by the previous process. In this ma
crime the nuts pass through very strong
ARTIFICIAL blast, from the force of which the
heaviest are first released, to fall into the
proper receptacle for the first grade, and
so on. By this means about four grades of
the very light ones-being practically
worthless, especially as they are mixed
with bits of roots, broken shells, etc 1t is
generally necessary to do some hand pick
ing even AFTER the blower. and this work
Is performed by women and children. All
these operations are Jumped together by
peanut growers and dealers under the COM
prehensive term "refinirg," and sometimes
part of the refining is done at the fac
tories" or establishments for the purchase
and shipment of the nuts, that have been
estabhsned In all peanut-growing regions
within the past few years.
Most readers, probably, think peanuts
are raised solely that they may be eaten
by Boys. but this is a mistaken notion.
Few products of the soil are put to a great
er variety of USES The vines form a de-
cidedly valuable food for cattle. From the
kernels an especially fine oil is made. which
meme but an expert can tell from the best
olive OIL This Oil is used in great Quanti-
ties In the making Of some of the finest
grades of toilet soap. The kernels them
selves are used in some parts of the world
In the adulteration of coffee, and still more
extensively In the manufacture of cocoa
and chocolate. Ground into -four, peanuts
form an admirable material for certain
sorts of cakes and biscuits, and the negroes
of the southern states make from II an ex-
cedingly palatable porridge. besides using
1t as a basis for much appreciated bever-
age The Use of peanuts in candy-making
is well known
Their Botanical History.
Authorities differ ~ to the botanical his