The Brownsville daily herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1897-1910, 1909-05-08
FARMING In
THE SOUTH
PEANUT CULTURE.
NOTWITHSTANDING Of Planting
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Preparation for Market.

The Louisiana State Board of Agri-
culture and immigration and the Elk
periment Station has issued the fol
lowing on peanut culture, prepared by
w. r. Dodson, Director, Agricultural
Experiment Stations:
In view of the frequent inquiries re-
zarding the cultivation of peanuts, the
following condensed statement has
been prepared giving the most peril
nsnt facts secured from the Louisiana
Experiment Stations and other expert
ment stations in the South:
Varieties-The large peanuts usual
Iy 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
more erect habit of growth, and the
peas adhere to the vines with greater
tenacity in the harvest than is char
acteristic with the other varieties. The
Spanish peanut is, therefore, easier to
harvest for forage or market than the
other varieties. The Spanish variety
Is not quite as rich in oil as some OF
the large varieties. The so-called
Mammoth" varieties are not desira-
BILE so far as the indications OF the ex-
periments at the Louisiana Stations
nd
of the pods are not well filled The
Spanish is generally preferred for for
age and possibly for other purposes
on account of less labor involved in
harvesting.
Soil-Almost any well drained soil
in Louisiana will produce 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 harvest the
pea satisfactorily and free it from dirt
Red soils, containing a large quantity
of iron, color the pods and injure the
market qualities Soils containing a
large amount Of stable manure or de
composing vegetable matter are liable
to produce excessive vines and
small yield of peanuts.
Time of Planting-Peanuts should
not be planted until all danger OF
frost has passed. They may be plant
ed as late as the middle of June and Q
good crop made.
Preparation of the Soil-Prepare the
soil as for ordinary staple crops. AS
clean culture is desirable, land that 10
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 a half to three feet
apart. The closer rows have f->7
found to give the largest yields. The
hills in the row should be from So
inches to a foot and half apart. Us
ually the short distance is used with
the small varieties and the poor land
and The maximum distance with the
large varieties and the richer land
Generally two peas are planted to the
hill In early planting cover some
what deeper 1t is the general prac
tice to shell the peas before plant
ing. Good results are secured by sim
ply breaking the pods, but they do no
come up as quickly when planted this
way as when shelled before planting
Planting the whole pods delays germi
nation and generally prevents securing
a. first-class stand. 1t will require
from one to two bushels of peas il
the hull to plant an acre.
Cultivation-Frequen shallow cul
tivation up to the time that the vinei
begin to bloom gives the most satisfao
tory results. No special precaution
are necessary in the cultivation of tn
crop. After the blooms begin to az
pear the vines should be disturbed a
little as possible, though the middle
may still be cultivated lightly wit
any implement most convenient.
Harvesting Harvesting should b
gin as soon as a large per cent c
the peas have matured If the work
delayed and unfavcrable weather PR
walls there will be greater loss froI
the termination of the peas as the
mature than will be compensated fc
by the maturity of the later forme
peas. The common method of ha
vesting is to off-bar the row with
turnplow. Then lift out each hill SCI
arately with a ground fork, shakin
the bunch to release the adherin
dirt. Two or three rows are bunche
together and curing is very much a
ter the order commonly followed
windrowing hay. When a consider
BILE crop is produced they are shoe
ed in small shocks around a stick dri
en- in the ground, making the shocl