The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-09-26

ter and I could do all the work of
planting, ou1tivating and harvesting
that didn't require the plough. We
expected to have to buy at least four
bushels of nuts, as we had sold all ex-
cept eight bushels, and two of those
had been consumed by the family.
When we began Smelling the seeds
early in April we soon discovered that
the yield of seed from our own nuts
was much larger than from those we
had bought the previous season. When
the six bushels were shelled out, we
determined to let buying extra seeds
go until after all our own were in the
ground. Father insisted we would
have enough, sister was in doubt, my
brother agreed with my father and
my mother agreed with me that mel
Their of us had the slightest idea.
"As usual, sisters judgment proved
correct, and we had to get a bushel ex-
ira. We tried to buy of the grocer to
whom we had sold the most of our crop
but he could only let us have half a
bushel at about three times what he
had paid us for it. When we planted
all those there were still three rows
left and my sister announced that we
wouldn't try to get seed either to
plant those or to replant the patch, but
would depend on setting out plants
from other hills. We had dropped
three nuts in each hill. and l believe
every one of them must have come up
except on the hills where the ground
moles devoured them.
1--WE began to set out just as soon
as the plants had five leaves, and we
did the work late in the afternoon,
working as long as there was light
enough for us to see. This was for
the purpose of giving the moved plant
the benefit of the dews that night be-
fore the sun of the following day
could get in it's work. 1t required on
ly few afternoons, and at the end of
the first month, in the hills that had
been planted there was no perceptible
difference from those on which the
plants had been set out. We had
Unanswered in such way that each
hill had two plants.
"The season proved good one, and
from the five acres we gathered 522
bushels. We paid out for work and
other expenses 800, gave father the
vines as rent, saved ten bushels for
seed, contributed ten more to the
family larder and had in pocket $402.
As it was all our own money. we de-
cffed to go to California for two
months the following winter. We had
a lovely time, and wouldn't have had
a cloud on our horizon had 1t not been
for missing father and mother, and
knowing that they missed us.
''Our second years crop brought the
four of us five weeks travel in the
south, and with the third years yield
we have come to New. York. Though
we have planted the same amount of
land each year since we really began,
that first year was the heaviest yield,
and my sister and father attribute 1t
to the set-out plants. They believe
that such plants give more and better
nuts than those springing from the
seeds. It is to test this theory that
we have one-eighth Of an acre set out
this season. II their judgment proves
correct, father thinks we should try
planting seed nuts In a bed and plant
ing from that, as in sweet potatoes.
While l would be glad enough for the
extra yield, rather dread the back
breaking process Of setting them out.
I'VE harvest our nuts in October.
usually in the last week, being careful
to get them in before hard frost.
Frost Injuries the nuts and renders the
vines. which IL properly cured, make
the best sort Of forage for cows, al
most worthless. The vines are pulled
up with a potato fork, turned bottom
side upward and left to dry. AS soon
as this is done they are thrown into
the barn and my sister and begin the
process OF picking or failing the nuts
off on canvas sheets Those that we
pick are clean and free from chaff, but
those separated from the vines by
means of the fail have to be famed.
Last year our yield was only 493
bushels, and we put 1t to the fact that
we had two long wet spells of weather.
My sister and father give that as an
evidence that peanuts do not need SO
much moisture as corn and other
crops. We sell our entire crop to two
men In the town nearest our home
and they, in turn, keep the small deal
ers In that vicinity supplied These
small dealers prefer our nuts because
they are heavier in weight and have
fewer pops.
Zone Of the chief reasons Of our sue.
cess is because we plant crop for
which there is good demand. II we
had gone into the truck business / am
sure we would not have made nearly
50 much money. though we might have
worked just rs hard Aside from set
ting out plants none Of the work is dis
agreeable, and all OF it can be done
wearing gloves"