The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1911-05-19
The Value
OF PEANUTS
Demand for The "Goeber"
Increasing.
Well Tried Hints as to Growing
This Famous
Pea.

The peanut crop of the Unase'
States for 1908 was valued at $l2.
100000, and the area Of cultivation
and the value OF the product ar,
steadily Increasing.
The common peanut originally cam
probably from tropical America Pea
nuts were introduced into the UniteC
States in the days of the Colonies
Botanically, the peanut blongs to eth
same group of plants as beans and
peas, but the peanut natures its fruit
or nut under the surface of the soil
not above ground, as do most oths
legumious plants
Properly speaking the peanut is a
pea rather than a nut the term nut
having been added on account OF its
flavor, which is similar to that of
many of the true nuts. The peanut
Is known under the local names of
gocber, goober pea ,pindar, ground
pea and groundnut
The cultivation of the peanut for
commercial purposes has until COM
paratively, recently bee n confined
chiefly to areas in Virginia, Tennes-
see the Caroiinas and Georgia. but
in recent years the industry has be-
come established throughout the
South Atlantic States and westward
to and including California. The
climatic requirements of the peanut
are a long season without frost, col
paratively light rainfall during the
growing p eriod abundant sunshine
and high temperature.
A good grade of seed is just as inn
pOrtant with the peanut as with corn
wheat or any other crop. The very
best peanuts of the previous seasons
crop should bs selected Cor seed, and
of these only the most mature and
perfect peas should be used. In plant
ing the large-pod varieties it is de-
sirable that the seed be SHIELDED The
planting machines now in general
use are adapted to handling the she'll
ed seeds only. and when planting
with whole pods there is al
ways a doubt regarding their being
well filled, and poor stand may re-
suit. Further, Pods containing two
or more seeds will produce more than
one plant in hill, causing a waste
of seed and crowding together of
the plants, and finally whole seed
is slower in terminating shan shslled
seed.
With the Spanish variety the case
quite different, as the pods are in
Yariably filled, the onowding together
of the plants is Of no great disad-
vantage, and the fIw days extra time
rsquired for germiDatEn is Of little
CONSCIOUSNESS. Many growers of the
Spanish peanut soak the unshelled
nuts in wat7r previous 70 planting.
When the peanat crop is harvested
the vines are, under ordinary cir
cumstanoes, plowed from the ground
and afterward separated from the soil
by hand. Behind the digger or pillow
gang of workmen shake the vines
free from the soil and throw them In
small bundies.
Special machines are now being Of
fered which are intended to dig,
clean and bunch the PEANUTS, and
by one machine ii Is possible to sey-
er the main root Of the peanut just
below where the pods are formed, an
thus leave much OF the accumulated
nitrogen in the sol. The peanut plan
In common with other leguminous
plants has the power of collecting the
free nitrogen of the atmosphere and
storing 1t in little nodules on the
roots For this reason, the peanut
Is one of the more desirable of soil
renovating and soil Smproving plants.
After the peanut vines are loosen
cd from the soil they are allowed TO
lie in small punches or are spread
upon the ground for three or four
hours. and thea they are packed in
small stacks around central stake
TO cure. The essentials in caring for
the crop during the curing periods
are that tho PEANUTS shall be kept in
small stalks shall have an abundance
OF air. and shall be protected from
the weather and Injury from animals
Owing to the flsshy nature OF the
stems, they cure slowly and are LA
BILE TO mildew IL placed In large lots
BY the small stalk method the pods
are placed near the center and around
the stake, where there is an upward
of atr and general protec-
ton.
Peanuts for market should be cured
In the stack at last thrss or four
weeks before picking II the pods
are not we'll protected In stacking.
many will be destroyed by tho com
non crow. In some sections 1t Is