The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1919-12-16
MONEY CAN BE MADE
OUT OF PEANUTS
Harris Gives Plans for Planting, Gull
tivation and Harvesting-Esti-
mates Cost Of Production and
Possible ProGts-Fits in Wita
Hogs and Cattle Raising.

Farmers of the state will doubtless
plant peanuts on a larger scale next
year than ever before attempted IN
the state as an economic weapon with
which to fight the boil weevil. An
ticipating such procedure, B.. Harris,
commissioner OF agriculture, has pre-
roared the following discussion of pea
nut production and profits:
Probably every farmer in South
Carolina has heard something about
planting peanuts within the last few
months, but much of the information
given out has been so vague and
inconsistent that it has not been very
convincing or even instructive. Con-
sequently the rank and file of our
farmers who are dismayed by the
rapid spread of the boil weevil are
eager for some practical facts and
figures and common sense advice
about peanuts before they decide
what to plant. For the past few
months almost every mail has been
bringing in new questions. all OF
which l have made an earnest effort
to answer in the most accurate eiid
practical way possible. This, together
with some seven years of experience
and investigation, makes me feel that
] know how to approach this sub
iect from the farmers point of view
and discuss it in way that will be
beneficial to him.
Ready Market Available.
The first thing the farmer wants to
know is whether there will be mar
ket for his peanuts if he and his
neighbors plant large acreage of
them. The answer to this is that the
hundred oil mills in South Carolina |,
can crush the normal crop of 400, 900
tons of cotton seed in six months and
are eager to find something to run
on the balance of the year. With the
diminishing cotton crop these oil mills
can easily crush 10000 tons of pea
nuts during the otherwise idle season,
AID it will be at least several years
before there will be any need for ad-
-ditional mills to take care of all the
peanuts that South Carolina can
raise.
The farmer naturally wants some
estimate of what he can expect to
make on peanuts. The profits on
peanuts can be estimated about as
closely as the profits on cotton or
corn or any other staple crop. In all
these estimates there are many vary
ing conditions to be considered, but
with peanuts the variation Of the
Yields on poor land and on rich land
do not seem to be so marked as with
sother crops. Neither does an exces-
!sive amount of fertilizer seem to be
required to produce maximum yield.
The main difference in yield depends
more upon the care and intelligence
with which the crop is planted and
cultivated than anything else.
of course we are figuring on the
small White Spanish peanut as basis
for all our calculations, because it is
1.-THE variety best adapted to our con-
. editions.
Costs and Profits.
While the average yield per acre is
.about half ton, or 33 1-3 bushels Of
80 pounds, careful and intelligent
farmers can make so per cent. or pos
.sibly 100 per cent, more than the av-
-erage, just as he has been making
ftwo-thirds of bale of cotton againsG
tshe average crop of one-third bale.
Therefore, let US take three-fourlhs
,of ton of peanuts as probable
yield, and at three-fourths of the
present price:
1.500 pounds peanuts at $135
per ton OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES 91Ul.Io
1900 pounds peanut hay at
$50 ........................... 5000