The Colfax chronicle., 1904-11-05
FARMER AND PLANTER.
1he Peanut ~ . Commercial Prea-
net On the Farms ~ the
Southland.


SOuthlana.
The peanut or ground nut" Of II
south is capable of being proftabl
scultivated wherever the dent corns ma
lure. 1t is by no means q tropic,
plant. The uses Of this plant in com
merce and industry are numerous an
extensive. The present yield Of tn
crop in the United States might b
multiplied many fold without exceed
ing the market demands.
The peanut, Araehis hypogea, IL
native OF the sandy soils of Soutl
America. 1t belongs to the pulse O
clover family Of plants and, like tn,
other plants Of this family, possesse.
the power OF taking nitrogen from thu
atmosphere.
There are several varieties of pea.
nuts in cultivation. though those ol
practical importance are only three
THESE are the red and white Virginia
nuts and the Spanish. The two form
er are larger and contain less oil than
the Spanish variety. The latter is the
heaviest yielder
In commerce the peanut is valued
mainly as a source of oil. The cake.
after the oil is expressed, is nsed as a
food for man and beast. The so-called
chocolate" Of Spain and Italy is sim
ply the ground meal OF the peanut,cake
Favored with cinnamon and little
cocoa. The dry straw, after the nuts
are removed, makes q very nutritious
and eagerly eaten food for cows. AL
together the peanut is q badly neglect
ed crop, which farmers in the central
and western states would do well to in
vestigate. II B known that the furth-
er north the peanut is grown the low
er the content Of oil and the higher the
percentage of protein il holds. The
northern grown nuts are therefore
more suitable for use in confectionery
and to eat out of hand as roasted nuts.
The cultivation of the peanut is
quite simple. The seeds are removed
from shells before planting. though
many southern farmer merely soak
the entire nuts for "a hours be-
fore planting and then when dropping
into the furrow lightly crush the shells
between the thumb and finger. When |
eneiled seeds are used about so pounds |
viii plant one acre. The sheIIed seeds |
may be sown with an ordinary corn
planter. The drills are made about |
Ihree feet apart and two seeds are
dropped together every IS inches. Gov
'ring should be about three inches
ieep The best land for peanuts is.
'ather light, limey loan. Wet soil ia
The best time for plant
ng Is about ten days after planting
)ent corn. 1.-THE red nut is the earlier
'orth OF the Ohio river. Its growing
eason is about 80 days. The white
nd Spanish nuts require sbout 12O
ays The temperature during the
rowing season should not fall below ,
0 degree F. T.
- ' oSSi"e tho pcdhut e0arp
lade or sword" is welded to the /
o5nt OF two-horse pIow from which !
ne mould-board has been removed. !
his is run close to the row. the blade | \
assing under the row and cutting a
4 the tap root as well as loosenine | 2
le soil around the nuts. The plants a
70 then pulled up by hand and laid n
windrows to wilt. AS soon as wilt 1 f
J, the plants are stacked around a | =
Die usually about ten feet high. The L v
ack is always thatcned with straw or e
'vered with hay cap until the plants e
e dry. When dry the nuts are picked v
hand from the straw. The yield is a
ON 80 to IS bushels per acre, though D
ice that amount has been secured on D
perimental plots The average price 81
some years past has been 81 per u
shel on the farm. Il
The peanut offers special advantages Il
the pork producing states of the a.
ntral west, where hogs are fattened 81
most entirely upon corn, producing 81
at too fat for use as bacon and, X
srefore commanding lower price. N
anuts, more particularly the Spanish NJ
riety, make fine hog pasture and ct
bacon OF hogs fed on these nuts M
Iuires something of game flavor as al
II as increase in the percentage Of al
n meat. One acre of peanuts have 81
hered, probably almost wholly from ~
atmosphere, 163 pounds OF nitrogen tn
rth as commercial fertilizer S29. In ao
lition the fedding value Of seed and W.
NV was about $45 Oh
he peanut like all the .egumines is -
ank feeder and requires an abund-
supply of lime, phosphoric acid and
ash. Few soils contain SUFFICIENT
ply Of lime to insure maximum in,
Of peanuts. The following fer tn,
ser can be recommended: 1.5O0 lbs. to
phosphate, 45O lbs muriate of pot- cal
, SO lbs. nitrate of soda. Mix and wi
per acre from 500 to 1000 pounds. We,
er planting, or before, top-dress :
b 1000 lbs. air Stacked lime per or
}. FARMERS Home Journal. viii
tee