Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1911-06-02


apart, depending on the richness
land. while the nuts are placed from 8
TO l2 incnes between hills with two nuts
in a place The closer the rows can be
put together the better since there is
less labor involved in keeping the open
space free from weeds and trash. Two
bushels OF unhulled seeds or a busheI
OF huIled seeds will ordinarily be re-
quired to plant an acre. and it is Inn
portant to save the seed before frost
falls on the vines.
Where the varieties have unusually
large pods, the Smelling of the nuts is
often advisable. though this is seldom
necessary with the Spanish variety so
largely planted as a grazing crop for
hogs. 1t is sometimes advisable, how
ever. TO soak the peanuts few hours
before planting so as to hasten germin-
alton Where Smelling is undertaken il
should be performed by hand so as not
to break the thin outer coat While
planting may be done as early as Aprii,
most OF the crop is seeded in May ex-
cept in the extreme south. As it takes
four TO four and a half months for the
crop to mature. it must be seeded suffi-
GENTLY early to enable 1t to develop be-
fore the first frosts of autumn fall. as
soon as the peanuts appear above grounc,
run over the field with weeder. Sur
face cultivation should then be pursued
to hold weeds and grass in check Aft
er the plants have attained some degree
of toughness, the weeder may be run
across the rows at frequent intervals
though il is possibly best TO run IL dag
onaIly with the rows. One or two hoeings
may be required. but not more where the
land is properly prepared, though any
grass between the PROSTATE branches or
the plants should be removed by hand
Cultivation should not, be persisted In
after the pegs strike down as there IS
danger then of injuring the plants and
iessening the yield. Where this crop is
grazed on the land the store of nitrogen
should tend to increase in the soil; II
the nuts are removed some loss Of this
important element viii occur. but If the
hay be gathered and fed, as already sug-
gested. the crop will not exhaust the
soil very good rotation to follow
with would be corn, cotton, peanuts. ana
winter oats to be followed by cowpeas.
Among the best varieties are the Vir-
ginia Bunch. Virginia Runner, the North
Carolina and the Spanish. The first
three mentioned are large podded vari-
cites, the last one being small and best
adapted for grazing purposes. The nea-
nut constitutes an important human
food and when roasted is relished by
practically every one. elm Marseilles,
France, large quantities of peanuts are
converted into oil and cake, while peanut
butter has now come TO be a staple ar
tcle of food in many homes.
This crop furnishes one of the cheap
est and most desirable methods of fat
tening hogs in autumn 1t is true that
the pork is a little soft. but this diff
Gully may be overcome by feeding corn
for a few days. The harvesting of the
crop is generany done in September and
October. The usual method Of harvest
ing Is to take the boldboard off the
turning pillow and run the share under the
row The peanuts are then stacked in
a circular form around poles with the
tops out and the nuts inward TO pro-
tect them from rain and dew and the at
tack OF birds and animals. The crop is
stin in its infancy, the demand for 1t
growing, from year to year, and a few
acres should be cultivated on every
southern. farm.
NJ II. NJ, Aunedgeville, Ca. writes:
Could / use chicken manure on my as
paragus bed at this season, and how
would be the best way 70 apply 1t? 1
thought 1 would run shallow furrow
between the rows and scatter the manure
IN the IurTOW ana cover DO sOu tAiAAh
mulching melons, cucumbers, etc, will
pay for the trouble? / have plenty of
material in the way Of .sweepings Of the
yard.
While it would have been better 20
apply the chicken manure to the aspar-
agus bed much earlier in the season,
there is no serious objection to using II
now, and your idea OF opening a light
furrow between the rows and scattering
the manure therein and covering it is
good practice. This will tend to pre-
vent the loss Of ammonia and will IN
corporate the other fertilizing constitu-
ents of the manure more completely into
the soil Thoroughly air-drIed chicken
manure would contain from 1 to 1.5
pounds OF phosphoric acid. 2 to 3 pounds
OF nitrogen and 1 to is pounds Of pot
ash per 100 pounds. II would thus be
relatively low in phosphorus and potash
for most garden crops. II would prob
ably be better TO apply The manure di-
rectIy to the ground and then scatter
complete fertilizer which only contains
a moderate amount of nitrogen over
the surface OF the ground at the period
Of the year when it's application would
be likely TO stimulate growth
The mulching of most crops is best
done before they are planted; that is,
the accumulation of vegetable matter,
manure. sweepings or whatever 1t hap
pens TO be can generally be put under
the drill row and incorporated with the
soil and better results secured than II
1T is put on top of the ground. OF
course. there is some possible exception
to this rule. as is sometimes the case with
Irish potatoes and other garden crops.
II the sweepings are put IN a pile and
moistened they can be preserved and
used either under the drill row of crops
to be planted later on in the season,
or reserved and applied TO the ground