The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1914-10-01
VIRGINIA BOYS
ORGANIZE MANY
PEANUT CLUB
Department of Agriculture is
Interested and Substantial
Prizes Are Offered.

TttZGo AtC OItCtGOs
WASHINGTON, d. C.. Oct. Il
The boys of southern Virginia have
become interested in raising peanuts,
and the United States Department OF
t,AgricuItre has been organizing
peanut clubs to assist them The
first crop is now ready for gathering
and promises such good returns that
ut is hoped that similar peanut clubs
may soon be organized in other parts
/ of the South. The Carolinas, Okla
homa. Georgia. Florida. Mississippi.
Alabama, Louisiana, Texas, Arkan-
sas. Virginia and Tennessee all Offer
excellent fields where good peanuts
may be grown. In parts of all these
states 1t is hoped that the boys may
be taught to raise peanuts either as
a cash crop or as feed for pigs.
Substantial prizes have beea Of
fered by certain peanut butter COM
panies to encourage young men TO
grow good peanuts. THE basis OF
award IS the exhibit of a peck of
Ncrop as 1t was raised and statement
of the yield and the profit. Each boy
works on an acre of ground and the.
market value of hay also obtained
from the acre is counted in with the
rest OF the profit.
The peanut clubs which have been
organized in eight counties in south
ern Virginia are similar to the de-
partments corn clubs. The age
limit for members is from ten to
eighteen years as it is in the corn
clubs. The peanut butter companies
that have offered special prizes have
made It possible for boys to COM
pete in the following counties: Isle
of Wight. Prince Georec. Nanse-
mond, Surry. Dinwiddle. Sussex.
Chesterfi cid and Greenville. This
covers district already famous for
the production of superior variety
of peanuts. and is a most favorable
locality for trying out the peanut
club idea.
The young members of the new
club commenced work in June.
Many Of those who prepared the
seed bed thoroughly. planted their
peanuts at the proper time, and gave
them good cultivation, secured
good stand and are assured good
harvest. Even those who do not win
prizes will have their valuable crops
and their more valuable experience
as compensation.
How to Harvest Peanuts.
The United States Department OF
lAgriculture's Office of Farmers Co
Operative Demonstration Work has
Issued the following advice to young
men who are ready to harvest their
peanuts
Peanuts are usually ready for dig
ging when the vines turn yellow ana
the lower leaves begin to fall OF.
but this is not always the case. u
| is good plan to pull UP few hills
over the field, and examine the pods
| to see II they are well filed.
There is a tendency among begin
ners to dig peanuts before they are
mature, but this should be avoided.
When the crop is dug too soon the
percentage of pops" or untitled pods
is largo and the nuts shrivel up. thus
making an inferior product. a rev
of the early nuts will sometimes
! sprout long before the main portion
of the crop is matured but it is bet
| ter to sacrifice these than to harvest
| too early.
When peanuts are grown on a
ismall scale they are sometimes pulled
/ by hand, but this is not desirable
method as most all of the root, with
Its nitrogen nodules, is removed.
The plants should be dug in such
way that a large portion of the root
/ is left in the ground. One of the
simplest implements is the common
turning pillow with the mold board
removed, to prevent covering the
peanuts. If the share is shary and
the plow is properly regulated. the
root can be cut off at any desired
depth. Another simple digger con-
sists of U shaped bar of steel at
ttached to Georgia pillow stock. The
bar is sharpened ,on the front edge
and four to five. iron finges are at
\ tached to the back edge to separte
|; the vines from the soil. This impIe-
| ment can be regulated to cut off the
root wherever desired. Probably
the best digger is the regular pea
nut digger which is made on the
The potato digger is satisfactory II
the seat bars are made longer and
placed farther apart so IS to allcR
I the vines to pass over the elevator
without cIogging. By means OF q
the machine can be regulated so as
to run nay depth desired