The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1919-12-24


Either way in all right. Just be sure
the ground is warm and damp enough
TO rthem to come up quickly. With
seed at II cents in the shell and 20
cents shelled, the cost per acre is the
same.
1t is hard to find machine that will
drop one kernel every three or four
INCHES apart with regularity, but one
VIII probably be available before
planting season, because the best au-
thorities have shown that the largest
yield OF Spanish peanuts is obtainable
when planted this distance.
am assuming that the common
sense farmer knows how to pulverize
his soil and distribute his lime and
fertilizer and carry out the ordinary
details as we'll as / do, or better. but
l have learned few things that are
peculiar to peanuts and are so impor-
tant that l want to impress them
upon him.. For instance, an immense
amount of labor, both hoeing and
plowlng, can be saved by planting
peanuts fiat and cultivating them with
q light weight wceder. Some success
tul peanut farmers tell me that they
start running the weeder across their
peanuts before they come up, and con-
tinue doing this, at least, once a week
until they are ready to lay by. They
run diagonally, first one way and then
the other. This prevents the grass
from getting start, and unless it is
a wet season no hoeing is required,
but the grass must be kept down until
the peanuts begin to bear. When they
begin to fruit they are laid by with a
cultivator or flat sweep. They can
stand lot of rough treatment when
young, but do not disturb them after
the "pegs" enter the ground.
The time of harvesting has much to
do with the yield of peanuts, and the
method of harvesting has all to do
with the quality. They are dug three
to, four months after planting, but it
takes an expert to tell exactly the
best time; that is, when the loss of
nuts begins to exceed the gain. An
experienced eye can detect slightly
yellow cast that comes over the vines
at this stage, but the safest plan is to
examine. the roots frequently.
The vines are usually loosened up
with plow and then picked up by
hand and the. dirt shaken out. They
should not lie in the sun more than
q few hours before they are stacked
Do not deviate from the established
method of stacking them around small
poles about six feet high with cross
pieces nailed ten inches above the
ground to give ventilation. The nuts
are placed next the pole and the vines
sloped out to shed the rain. Begin
ners try various other methods Of
curing them, but after sustaining
heavy losses they invariably come
back to this simple plan. 1t is better
to group the stack in a corner of the
field or near the barn yard so as to
have the land clear for some other
crop after the hogs have gathered the
nuts that are left in the ground. Then
you have the stacks all conveniently
grounded for the picking machine.
After the stacks have stood for q
month. or more, according to the
weather, so that the nuts are dry and
the vines crisp, the picking machine
IS pulled up to the most convenient
point. and the nuts are picked and
cleaned all in one operation and are
ready for the market. The hay should
be baled. or hauled to the barn.
IN" picking machine should be of
the best and most approved model.
oSme makes are to be avoided by all
means. After thorough nvestiga
tion, l believe that the Liliston comes
nearest to meeting oil requirements.
Do not use thrashi,>~, machine as it
breaks too many nuts.
In conclusion let me call attention
to the imnortancn of having an ex-
pert peanut man in every county that
is going extensively into growing
pco"uts. He may not be so much
needed bv the large farmers who are
| IN nosition to get information and az
slstance when necessary. but his serv-
| ices will be INDISPENSABLE to the small
farmers who will need to be shown
| nnd INSTRUCTED constantly: otherwise
th"V w',l make many costly mis-
takes which will tend to discoura 90
them and cripple the industry.