The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1908-01-10
ADVICE TO FARMERS
pY THE INDUSTRIAL Agent OF
THE SANTA FE-PlANT PEA.
NUTS AND MAKE MONEY.

The following letter received at the
Commercial Club from Mr.. II. Il.
Hershey. industrial agent of tn G..
C. q S. T. Ry., is Of great import
ance and merits careful perusal. The
soil of Carter county is pcr'ectly
adapted to the culture OF peanuts
end handsome profits result from the
cultivation Of this crop.
Galveston. Tex. Jan. I. 1908.
Mr.. II. G. Spaulding, Secretary Com
mercial Club. Ardmore. Okla,
My Dear Mr.. Spaulding:
With reference to our recent con
versation regarding the cultiyau VI If
peanuts in the vicin'ty of Ard uore.
the more ! think OF this proposition
the more thoroughly am convinced
that IL Is well worthy of agitation.
The evils of "one-crop' system of
agriculture are too well known to
require comment The farmer as well
as the merchant or capitalist has
long ago learned the folly of put
ting his eggs all in one basket Our
good friend Andrew Carnegie advises
us to put all our eggs in one bas-
ket. and WATCH THAT BASKET
but experience has shown that the
most careful vigilance will not pre-
vent the Expectations of chinch
bugs. green bugs. boil weevils. and
The innumerable other pests which
destroy the crops of our farmers and
leave them with nothing to show for
heir labor. The problem of a Ger.
tain income from the operation OF
the farm Is to be solved by the
cultivation on n portion Of the land
crop which has no probable enc
mics, which can he grown to periCc.
lion under normal circumstances, and
for which there is a ready market.
This solution Is to be realized in your
locality, | believe. In the cul,iva-
tion of the peanut, which has only
one known enemy, and that a blind
one, the mole. and which when plont.
ed in sandy soil and cultivated
the same as corn or cotton will
produce boUntiful crops Wherever
there is a growing, no-frOst period
OF five months. The peanut requires
lime in large quantities and If this
| Is deficient 1t must he added TO
the soil, but beyond this no special
fertilization is necessary and perhaps
in your locality this element is
! present IN sufficient quantity in the
soil. or coourse In the cultivation
of peanuts as in any other successful
farming venture the Fertility OF the
| soil must he conse. We'd by an intel
| llgent system Of crop rotation. An
authority on peanut culture gives the
| following advice: "A good rotation
Is sofa beans or cowpeas, to be fol
lowed the succeeding year by peanuts
and the next year by sweet potf~oes
or the following one. that will keel
more convenient for the average peo
nut planter, is recommended; Pea
nuts followed in the fall by winter
rye or oats and the next summel
the and sown to crimson clover. Il
be followed the succeeding year b!
peanuts again, SO that every othe
year peanuts will be the c~p. Tn.
advantage of this would he an in
creased forage crop for the farmer
much needed addition in the pea
nut-growing sections of the Unite,
States-the covering of the Lam
during nearly the whole year wit
growing crop and the rotation of
cereal with a leguminous crop" Thi
rotation can be easily managed on tn
small acreage which would natural
be devoted TO peanuts, and will resul
In great enrichment of the soil IL
stead of impoverishment.
A great many farmers In Texa
raised peanuts in small quantities las
season. and the results We're sue
that the acreage will be largely II
creased during the coming seasol
The largest acreage was planted
the. northeastern part of the stat
in soil very similar 10 yours. II
yield varied from fifty to eight
bushels of nuts TO the acre FOR whiC
the growers received from eight
- to twenty-five cents per bushel. and
n addition to the nuts each acre pr
Il duced from one TO three tons
peanut hay, as good as alfalfa al
n readily salable at the same pric
) These farmers have raised what