Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1915-04-30
The Peanut Crop.

rroih Nhe 7 ErOgresslVe FARMER, may 10Th. 1919,
By the time this article appears the
planting of peanuts for market will be
practically over with except in the
Spanish pea sections. The Spanish va
riety will mature even when planted in
July and the larger varieties frequently
make good yields planted the middle of
June.
When we consider the ease with which
the peanut crop may be produced and
its value as pork producing crop, we
wonder why it is not grown more gen.
orally for fattening hogs. Peanuts are
conceded to be one of the very best hog
feeds known, both because of the quail
ity of the meat produced. when some
corn or cottonseed meal is fed with
them, and because of the cheaPness of
the pork produced on peanut pasture.
The peanut gives to the meat a juicy
sweet flavor produced by no other feed.
Furthermore, when planted for hogs
alone. and the roots and vines rooted
into the soil there are few crops which
equal the peanut as soil-improver.
manure as fertilizer. There is plenty
of time left to plant patch of peanuts
to turn the hogs on in October Every
farmer in the cotton belt should plant
a few acres of this crop for the pigs.
In great many sections the farmers
plant the Spanish or Virginia bunch va
riety. give them one cultivation to de-
stroy the grass and give the young pea
nut plants start. Then they sow cow
peas in the middles, and let all grow
up together. Just before frost the
moving machine is run over the field
and as fine quality of hay harvested
as is furnished by any crop. The hogs
are then turned on the field to gather
the peanuts. The roots and stubble
left and rooted into the soil adds mater
tally to its fertility. BY this method,
both crop of pork and crop of hay
may be harvested and the soil fertility
maintained.
CULTIVATION.
With the introduction of improved
machinery the cultivation of peanuts
has been revolutionized. Only 10 or Is
years ago it was the custom to "bar"
them off, or scrape them, with cotton
scraper, chop them from one end of the
row to the other, and then "side them
up" with cotton plow or sweep, going
four times to the row with the plow
and once with the hoe. Now one trip
with good double cultivator does the
job, and the use of the hoe is practical
ly eliminated. Because of the fact
that man can get over the field more
Rapidly with these cultivators he can
get there more frequently and keep the
surface soil stirred, thus checking the
grass and weeds. 1t is the man who
! keeps ahead of the grass and weeds by
| this frequent cultivation that succeeds.
In order to use thare cultivarnrn +n the
pest advantaget:t 10 bost GO plant the
crop about levil, so each subsequent
cultivation may push little fresh soil
around the plants.
Years ago it was thought necessary
to pile the dirt up around the plants. or
"hill them up" at the last working
In fact it was once considered essential
to the production of the NUTS to cover
the blossoms with soil as soon as they
appeared upon the vines. This opinion
was not entirely unreasonable, as the
nuts are produced at the ends of the
flower stems, but in the surface is kept
mellow and loose by frequent stirring
nature provides that these pegs turn
down and penetrate this surface soil.
there to enlarge at the end and form
the nut. If this surface soil is not kept
pulverized and these "pegs" or
, "spikes," as they are sometimes called.
strike a hard, baked impervious sur
face, they become discouraged, parch
up and die, thus reducing the yield. 1t
is the farmers part to furnish these
, little pegs soft receptive home in
which they can perform the functions
of their existence. In order to do this
we need not pile the dirt up around the
plants, but by this frequent cultivation
with sweeps which push or shove the
soil up under the branches they can
furnish just the required conditions.
This soil mulch not only affords an
inviting field for the fruiting pegs, but
also conserves the moisture for the
plant at this the most critical period ir
its growth. When the plant is fruiting
, it requires more plant food and moist.
ure than at any other stage of It's ex.
t stence. 1t matters not how much fer.
IIliLtI udo Uttll uoSu, ulIlSoS JlcIc IL
sufficient water in the soil to keep this
e plant food dissolved it is of no use tt
the plant, and crop of inferior pop
n py" peanuts will be harvested. In or
der to obviate this during dry weather
cultivation should be kept up late in thu
: middle of the rows.
= 1t is very importent in the cultivation
A of the peanut crop not to disturb thes'
pegs, or spikes. after they have one,
attached themselves to the soil. Ono,
e these pegs are broken loose by sweel
J. or hoe lthey seldom reestablish them
!. selves and bear fruit. II there is gras
in among the plants it is better to leav
it than to disturb the plant at this stag
q by getting it out.
IS If good stand of peanuts is secures
and the early cultivation is as it shout
be, they soon shade the row and chez
{ the grass and weeds. thus leaving tn
later civilizations to be devoted to tn
more urgent needs of the plant.
T. E. BROWNE,