The Port Gibson reveille. [volume] (Port Gibson, Miss.) 1890-current, 1911-03-02


north, west and northwest as in
Mississippi to-day, and to all such
Mississippi extends a hearty well
come. With their thrift and ener-
I gy expended here, where the strug-
gle for existence is merely a pas
time, they would soon live as
princes, and the strains of Dixie
would in time be as sweet as the
more familiar air of yankee
DOODLE
How to Grow Peanuts PrOfltably.
It is perfectly plain to every one
that 1t would be more profitable to
grow peanuts than cotton if we
could easily market the crop of
1911 at the prices prevailing now.
Some may be tempted because of
the profit made on the 1910 crop to
substitute peanuts for cotton as
money crop. For the benefit of
these 1t is we'll to look the peanut
situatian in the face, and examine
its possibilities and its limitations.
A careful study of the situation
leads to the conclusion that it will
be profitable for farmers i'll the
boil weevil section of Mississippi to
plant peanuts as supplement to
the cotton crop, but that 1t is not
safe to abandon cotton and depend
on peanuts alone.
Six acres to the mule is as much
as ought to be planted in cotton
under boil weevil conditions Now
the corn crop may be planted early
enough to be laid by before much
cultivation Is necessary in the cot.
ton crop. On well-prepared land
peanuts may be planted as late as
June Ist, and have plenty of time
to make q good crop. Three or
four acres to the mule planted June
Ist can be cultivated along with
the cotton and 1t Is not likely that
either crop would suffer for lack of
work.
1t is not advisable to plant land
in cotton now that would make
less than two-thirds of a bale per
acre without the weevil. Every
farmer has land that Is now too
poor to risk cotton on. This thin
land by fertilizing little will grow
a good crop of peanuts.
Do not get this idea that any sort
of preparation and cultivation will
do for peanuts The energy, In
dustry and skill necessary to grow
and harvest a profitable crop of
peanuts if directed Alright will grow
profitable crop of cotton under
boil weevil conditions.
There is the difference in the
prospect for the two crops when
you have made your cotton crop,
the buyers are at your door clam
oring for both cotton seed and cot
ton, while peanuts may have to
hunt for a market. All The indi-
cations are that the cotton market
will still maintain a high level,
while peanuts are expected to go
much lower.
Cotton is a gold bond with the
coupon waiting to be clipped; pea
nuts are a promise to pay not fully
protected against repudiation.
It is estimated that I25, 900 acres
will be planted in peanuts IN the
state of Mississippi. Perhaps one
half OF the yield could be easily
marketed for seed and to the pea
nut factories. If we could get
present prices for this part of the
crop, we could afford to dispose of
the remainder to the oil mills at a
very much reduced price. and still
make money. But that portion Of
the crop that must be used for oil
lis apt to act as hammer that will
knock down prices all along the
line, so we may confidently expect
a much lower range Of prices for
the crop of 1917.
The prospect for the gradual and
steady growth Of the peanut indus
try seems good. Markets for COM
paratively new products are not
made In day nor in year. They
grow gradually, and productions
should be increased gradually and
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