The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1917-09-27
PAYS FOR HIS FARM.
One Crop of Peanuts Pays For Flor
ida Plantation.

IQa tiantaClOn.
Ships have been known to pay TO:
themselves on their first voyage. but
how often does its first crop pay for
a farm?
Yet that is precisely what the $50
acre farm of c. T. Cotton, near Jay.
Florida, and few miles from the
Alabama line, is doing, and the crop
is peanuts.
Mr.. Cotton bought the place last
March. He had lot Of clearing to
do. and didn't begin plowing until
April, and the farm today is one OF
the most remarkable sights the piney
woods region furnishes.
Three hundred and twenty acres
are in one field, and it stretches
away for miles, solid mat of green,
over the surface of which the wind
plays in pretty ripples.
While the government advises
planting in 3O-inch rows and inches
apart in the rows, Mr.. Cotton planted
2O-inch rows and 5-inch distances,
thus virtually doubling the planting,
nor did he increase the fertilizer.
Yet, after examining the plants taken
from every part of the field, am
convinced that neither the quality
nor the quantity of the nut to the hill
is diminished. Every plant l pulled
had from one cup to a cup and half
of nuts that were full to capacity.
When more reach maturity the yield
will be greater. But estimating only
half a cup to the stem, the crop will
average over 100 bushels to the acre
for it is a 95 per cent. stand and
there are $4,000 bushes to the acre.
Last year peanuts brought S1.O0
a bushel. No price has yet been quot
ed t,,.,:s year, because the crop isn't
in; but if anything, it will be higher;
s1.25 is a conservative estimate.
The production costs? compiled
the following table from Mr.. Colton's
books, reducing his totals into terms
of acres for convenience and discount
ing literally. Perhaps l should ex-
plain that he can contract plowing
for $3.50 an acre; labor is S1.25 a
day, and the rent of a team is S1.00.
Per acre cost of raising peanuts OF
C. T. Colton's farm, actual:
Plovins $50
Narrowing q times) .... 10
Dragging and smoothing .35
Planting oman and horse
did 4 acres a day. -.....- rs
Three bushels seed at 81 800
Weeder cultivation Is
tlmeS) -------- -------- 10
Tayine by so
500 lbs. fertilizer Gear
ried to field and dis
tributed in planter) 500
s15.55
Though the crop has not been har-
vested, the costs will not run higher
than the following estimate. Dig
ging, of course, will be with two
horse machine; it's catalogue capacity
is given at Is acres day, but l allow
five. Picking will also be done by
machinery, for which the usual con-
tract price is ten cents a bushel.
Per acre harvesting cost of pea
nuts, estimated:
Digging -------- ----.---S l.OV
Placing on drying poles $50
: Hauling to picking ma
Picking Goo bu. at 10c) 1000
$3.50
To haul 100 bushels of peanuts
$4,000 pounds) to the shipping sta
ton, Pollard, 4 1-2 miles away, will
cost $3.50; freight to the oil mill will
be s2.4O, or $3.50 ton. Total ex-
penses per acre are, therefore:
Production .--..... -------- ---.Slo.oo
Harvesting ----.--- -------- ---- l3.oo
Delivering ---..-.. ----, ,5.9o
S3495
Which, subtracted from the gross
receipts for 100 bushels, at $1.O0,
leaves net profit of s65.05 per acre,
or nearly twice what the, land sold
for.
But call it $4,000, to be on the
safe side; then lop SO acres from the