Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1915-04-23

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using portable fences rather than to
let them have the run Of the whole
field.
In some Of the southern states the
peanut is extensively used for plant
ing between rows of corn, the peanuts
usually being planted at the last culti-
walton Of the corn. After the corn Is
harvested, cattle are turned in to eat
the fodder and peanut tops. Following
the cattle, the land Is pastured by
hogs In order to clean up h peanuts.
In this way the stubble and roots of
the peanuts supply humus and most
Of the nitrogen stored in the nodules
, on the roots Is left in the soil.
In addition to growing peanuts to
be fed in the field, the crop can be
cured as described for a market crop
and stored in sheds or barns for
winter feeding. The entire plant Is a
very valuable feed for nearly all class
es Of live stock and can be fed econom
ically. For dairy cows the whole
peanut plant makes almost a balanced
ration. Peanut hay, consisting Of the
entire plant after the nuts are remov-
ed, has a much higher feeding value
than any of the grass hays and about
the same value as clover hay. A
good crop Of peanuts grown for mark
ct should yield a ton or more Of hay
to the acre.
When peanuts are harvested for
market, hogs are usually turned into
the field to CLEAN whatever Is left after
digging. Many growers fatten two
hogs on each acre Of peanuts so
harvested.
Hogs fattened exclusively on pea
nuts will not yield a desirable grade
of meat or lard, as the meat will be
soft and the lard oily. By feeding
almost exclusively on corn for the last
two or three weeks Of the fattening
period this difficulty will be over
come. Sweet potatoes and peanuts
together make a good ration for hogs,
the sweet potato furnishing the car
bohydrate and the peanut the protein
and fat.
Peanut Oil.
With q coming shortage Of cotton
seed from which to make oil and with
the great increase in the demand for
vegetable oils in this country there Is
a possibility Of building up a peanut
oil industry in the south. BY making
both ]cottonseed oil and peanut oil in
the same factories it would be possible
to keep the mills in operation through
out the year. With the addition Of
cleaning and Smelling machinery the
mills now making ]cottonseed oil
could be used for the manufacture of
peanut oil.
Shelled Spanish peanuts contain 30
to So per cent Of oil, and with up-to-
date presses AZ to A per cent can be
extracted. Good Spanish nuts will
yield one gallon Of oil to one bushel
Of uts weighing thirty pounds.
One ton Of farmers stock Spanish
peanuts, after they have been clean
| ed and shelled, will yield $50 to 400
pounds of first-grade or edible oil,
It's to 200 pounds Of second-grade oil,
and 800 pounds of peanut cake. The
cake has about the same food value
as cottonseed meal The present indi-
| cations are that a considerable guam
tity of first-grade peanut oil could be
| disposed Of at rs cents a gallon,
wholesale, and large quantities of
second-grade oil at 35 to 40 cents a
gallon for soap making.
It will be impossible, however, to
establish the peanut oil industry in
the United States until there is a
much larger production of peanuts.
At present the farmers are finding the
production Of peanuts profitable for
the regular channels Of trade and for
stock feeding purposes. A little en-
enlargement on the part Of the man
ayers of oil mills is necessary in or
der to secure a supply Of peanuts for
oil supplies.
Yields, Cost and Returns.
While the average yield Of peanuts
is only about "a bushels an acre, with
proper methods Of culture a yield of
60 bushels of nuts and one ton to
one and one-half tons Of forage may
be expected. A yield Of rs to 100
bushels an acre is not uncommon, and
even higher yields have been obtain
ed.
The cost of growing 40 bushels OF
peanuts for market should not be
more than $50 or $25 an acre, includ-
ing S. for the rent Of the land. A
yield Of go bushels or more per acre
would cost no more than 40 bushels
except for thrashing and marketing
During the past five years the price
received by the farmer for Spanish
peanuts has ranged between so cents
and slips per bushel, depending upon
the time they were sold. A yield OF
40 bushels at 60 cents would give a
return Of $24 for the nuts and a tor
Of hay worth at least $40. Even al
this low price a fair profit would be
made after deducting the cost OF
growing.
GENERAL NEWS NOTES.