Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1919-04-27
PEANUTS VALUABLE
ON UPLAND SOILS
One OF Best Crops To Substitute For
Corn or Cotton-May Be Har-
vested as Cash Crop.
by l.. w. Osborn, Arkansas Expert
ment Station.


ment Station.
The peanut Is one OF the best
crops TO substitute for corn or cotton
en- upland soils. 1t may be harvest
ed as a cash crop. or if the price is
low it can always be pastured by
hogs and a profit assured. There is
every reason why the acreage Of this
crop should be increased In the first
place, there is a distinct need for a
legumlnous soil Improvement cash
crop IN our cropping system and the
peanut may be used for this purpose.
In the second place, the peanut crop
Is more certain OF production on up
lands than corn, and in drouthy sea-
sons will do far better. This is espe-
clally the case on coastal plain up
land soils of central and south Ark
an&as, where corn production Is al
ways more or less uncertain AT the
same time, the net return of an acre
OF peanuts when properly handled, is
greater than that Of an acre of corn
That the advantages of the peanut
are known by Alabama farmers is in
Dictated by the increase in acreage
from 100000 acres in 1916 to 747.O00
acres in 1918. Texas farmers grew
275,000 acres in 1916 and $4,000 In
1918. At the same time Arkansas
farmers planted $4,000 acres in 1916.
and only $1,000 acres in 1918.
-otu
peanut is especially adapted to this
state. reports indicate that a decreas-
ed acreage is probable for the 1919
season. The reason is attributed TO
the prevailing lower price for the
1918 crop
Success~in the peanut business de-
ponds largely upon the machinery
used in planting. harvesting and
threshing the crop. Hand labor is
100 expensive. A good peanut plant
or may be- obtained cheaply A dig
ger which will cut the roots just be-
low the nuts. and leave the bulk OF
the roots in the ground should be oh
tanned. Finally, there should be
neighlorhood. When peanuts are
being grown for the market very care
full attention must be given to the
methods OF harvesting so that a we'll
matured, weli-dried product will be
sold.
For market production peanuts are
specially adapted to sandy loan. ami
loamy soils. but for hog grazing may
be grown on heavier soils, providing
they contain an abundance or organic
matter and do not crust easily.
The best general purpose variety
is the Spanish peanut. This variety
natures earliest. yields best and pro
duces less pops" than the Tenncs-
see or Virginia varieties.
Plant in rows 30 to SO inches wide
and space s to 10 inches apart in the
row. Plant Spanish peanuts in the
pod and not shelled. Soak the pods
overnight in water. If crows or molcs
cause annoyance, add a little Old
fashioned pine tar.
Be sure the seed is we'll matured
and will terminate. More poor stands
are caused by poor seed than any
other cause.
The seed-bed for peanuts should be
well prepared and the crop should re-
ceive careful cultivation until bloom
ing begins.
The time of harvesting is import
ant There is a tendency, on the part
of some growers to cut the hay 700
early and sacrifice the quality Of the
nuts. When tops are cut for hay, the
time of cutting should be delayed I'M
til some of the leaves are turning
yellow. Very careful attention must
he given to drying the nuts in shell
tered racks. when tops are removed,
since under these conditions it is not
practicable to stack the nuts out in.
the open.