Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1914-09-25

The peanut crop in Noxube
county this year is valuable, no
clone from a commercial stand
point. 1t is really worth more a
a defector of our minds from on
trnubles cheap cotton, fields full
of weevil and hard times.
Since some of the farmers hav,
begun to gather this crop it is at
tracing much attention. They
are approaching the fact that this
crop can, to some extent, besubsti
tuted for the cotton crop. 1t can't
take cotton's place-nothing can
but it has it's place in field crops,
and its place is an important one.
When we are able to realize the
full value of peanuts they will find
a welcome on every farm in Miss
issippi. They are just as profita-
BILE as cotton, alfalfa and good pas
lures in their proper place, and no
crop can profitably take their
piece en- the farm.
Peanuts will produce more dol
lars per acre than will cotton on
poor soils and there are thousands
of acres in this county that would
make more money per acre planted
in peanuts than if planted in cot
ton, even if there were no boil wee
wills. That may sound Ikea rash
statement but you hive only to
visit some of the fields of this
county growing peanuts to be con-
WINGED that such is true.
But right at this point a word
of warning may be opportune and
timely. If a few farmers this or
next year make some money from
peanuts don't recklessly plant the
''largest half" of your place in
that crop. A one-crop system is
always a poor one and usually
leads to mortgaged farms and hard
times. Plant five or six acres for
each mule. Plant some cotton,
some corn, plenty Of oats, improve
the pastures, save plenty of hay
and fill the silo- that is the sys-
tenn of farming this county needs.
Peanut vines without the nuts
makes as good hay as peavines or
any of the clovers. Mules eagerly
eat it. Sheep do we'll on such hay.
The vines, with the peanuts ION
them, make a balanced ration for
dairy cows. There is no better
feed for hogs than peanuts with
about one fourth feed of corn.
What want to put emphasis on
is the necessity of harvesting the
crop properly so that the peanuts
may be put on the market in first
class condition. When the vines
begin to turn yellow and shed the
bottom leaves the crop is about
ready to harvest, but on account
of the extreme dry weather through
the growing season this year there
are are now on many of the vines
pods. If the mature
nuts are not sprouting the gather
ing can be delayed some, though
not much will be gained by this.
The crop should be gathered in
good weather as it insures better
cured vines and sounder peanuts.
The proper way to gather is to
use a two horse turn pillow with
the wing taken off and pillow right
under the vines. A better nipple
ment is one that will run just I'M
der the cluster of peanuts and cut
the loug tap root ond leave it in
ground, for on thissroot most of
The nitrogen-gathering bacteria is
collected. This nitrogen is esti-
mated to be worth from SO to IS
per acre.
The Bush Bros. have adopted
The most complete implement for
harvesting peanuts | have ever
seen. They use a steel blade tas-
tened to the inside feet of a walk
ing cultivator. This is shaped so
that it runs at an angle below the
horizontal. The tap roots are cut
usts under the peanuts and the
vines are left in their natural posi-
lions as if they had never oeen
nolested. This blade is fastened
with heel bolts on the top of the
loot of the cultivator.
fUhne,o xuho hnxo x,,ouxy onx.oe, ~,