St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1908-12-19
PEANUT CULTURE.

The Louisiana State Board of Agri-
culture and Immigration and the Ex-
pertinent Station has issued the fol-
lowing on peanut culture, prepared by
W. R. Dodson, director, Agricultural
Experiment. Stations:
In the view of the frequent inquiries
regarding the. cultivation of peanuts,
the following condensed statement
has been prepared giving the most
pertinent facts secured from the Louis
lana Experiment Stations and other
experiments stations in the Sonth:
Varieties The large peanuts usually
seen at the confectioneries are the
Virginia" or Tennessee" red or
white" varieties. The Virginia or
Tennessee red is more popular on the
market and these seem to be better
suited to Louisiana conditions than
the two white varieties. The Spanish
peanut has a smaller pea and has a
moae erect habit of growth, and the
peas adhere to the vines with greater
tenacity in the harvest than is charac-
teristic with the other varieties. The
Spanish peanut is, therefore, easier
to harvest for forage or market than
the other varities. The Spanish vari-
ETY. is not quite as rich in oil as some
of the large varieties. The so called
Mammoth varietias are not desire
able so far as the indications of the
experiments at the Louisiana Stations
90. The yields are small and many
of the pods are not we'll filled. The
Spanish is generally preferred for
forage and possibly for other purposes
on account of less labor involved IN
harvesting.
Soil-Almost any we'll drained soil
in Louisiana will produce a fair crop
of peanuts. The sandy soil with a
moderate amount of humus is prefer
red. Stiff soils frequently produce
good crops, but it is difficult to har-
vest the pea satisfactorily and free it
from dirt. Red soils containing a
large quantity of iron color the pods
and in ure the market qualities. Soils
containing large amount Of stable
manue or decomposing vegetable
matter are liable to produce excessive
vines and small yield of peanuts.
Time of Planting should
not be planted until all danger of frost
has passed. They may be planted as
late as the middle of June and a good |
crop made.
Preparation of the Soil-Prepare
the soil as for ordinary staple crops. |
AS clean culture is desirable, land |
that is comparatively free of weed |
and grass seeds is to be preferred.
Planting Very slight ridges should |
be prepared in ordinary soils. In the
more sandy soils, the fiat row should |
be used. The rows may be arranged |
from two and half to three feet |
apart. The closer rows have been
found to give the largest yields. The
hills in the row should be from six
inches to a foot and a half apart. |
Usually the short distance is used
with the the small varieties and the
poor land and the maximum distance
with the large varieties and the rich |
er land. Generally two peas are plant
ed to the hill. In early planting cover
somewhat deeper. It is the general
practice to shell the peas fefore plant
ing. Good results are secured by
simply breaking the pods, but they do
not come up as quickly when planted
this way as when shelled before plant
ing. Planting the whole pods delays
termination and generally prevents
securing frst-class stand. It will
require from one to two bushels of
peas in the hull to plant an acre.
Cultivation Frequent shallow cult
walton up to the time that the vines
begin to bloom gives the most salts
factory results. No special precau-
ton of the crop. After the blooms be-
gin to appear the vines should be dis
turbed as little as possible, though the
middles may still be cultivated lightly
with any implement most convenient.
Harvesting should begin as soon as
a large per cent of the peas have ma
tured. If the work is delayed and
weather prevails there
will be greater loss from the germina-
ton of the peas as they mature than
will be compensated for by the ma
;urity of the later formed peas. The
common method of harvesting is to
1ff-bar the row with a turnplow. Then
lift out each hill separately with
ground fork, shaking the bunch to re-
ease the adhering dirt. Two or three
'ows are punched together and curing
S very much after the order common |
y followed in windrowing hay. When i
| considerable crop is produced they ,
ire shocked in small shocks around
tick driven in the ground, making the |
hooks three or four feet in diameter -.
nd five to six feet high, Gaping the ]
hook with grass. The shock is al I
owed to stand until the peas and
ines are thoroughly cured.
Yield-A good crop in any portion n
f Louisiana should yield from sixty :
We to 100 bushels per acre. The Ex-
eriment Stations have produced
tile over 100 bushels per acre on a
God crop. The Arkansas Station re- =
orts yields of from ninety-fve to 172 :
ushels per acre. Reports from small i
armers in north Louisiana indicate !;
ields in that section of from eighty -
, 100 bushels per acre. e
Preparation for Market-To be pre- 6
AIRED for market the peas must be =
eparated from the vines and thor >
ughly ridden of the adhering dirt. =
arious mechanical devices are help e
II in this work. Peanut threshers II
re on the market and are said to do :,
work. Il
Price-The price per bushel of =,
twenty-five pounds varies from so to 3
cents. The average price for ten y
ears at Norfolk, Va, is said to be q g.
cents per bushel. :,
Peanuts for oil production Peanuts =
,ntain from 35 to, so per cent oil. q
rime oil is said to be worth 65 cents
er gallon. The lower grades used
IF soap stock would bring much
wer price, as they would come into D
with the soap stock in l
e shape Of cotton seed oil. The
sidue after the oil is extracted is z
lluable stock feed and should bring u
ON 500 to $25 per ton when the a.
eats and hulls are mixed, or from Oh
5 to $50 per ton when the hulls are y
parated before the oil is extracted. =
Donr,-,+ LIn.r NNho,, rrroll n,,roa 4. n II