The Mena weekly star., 1919-05-01
VALUABLE
 ON UPLAND SOILS
One of Best Crops To Substitute For Corn or cotton--Mey Be liar
 vested as Cash Crop.
py L. W. Osborn. Arkansas Expsrk
 ment Station.

- eNs w. C@1VAAs Al h&hAAH AAA WIZ
 msnt Station.
 The peanut fs ono Of the best crops to substitute for corn or cotton on upland soils. It may be harvest cd as a cash crop. or if the price is low it can always be pastured by hogs and profit assured There ia every reason why the acreage of this crop should be increased. Tn the first place. there is distinct need for & leguminous soil Improvement cash crop in our cropping system and the peanut may be used for this purpose. In the second place, the peanut crop ia more certain of production on up. lands than corn, and in drouthy sea sons will do far better. This is espe- cially the case on coastal plain up- land soils of central and touth Ark. anEas, where corn production is al- ways more or less uncertain. At the same time. the net return of an acrs 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- dioated by the increase in acreage from 3O0,o0o acres in 1916 to 747.o00 acres in 1918. Texas farmers grew 27b,000 acres in 1916 and 647,e00 in 1918. At the same time Arkansas farmers planted 23,000 acres in 1916, and only 21,000 acres in 1918.
 Notwithstanding the fact that the peanut is especially adapted to this state. reports indicate that decreas- cd acreage is probable for the 1919 season. The reason is attributed 10 the prevailing lower price for the 1918 crop.
 Success in the peanut business de- pends largely upon the machinery used in planting. harvesting and threshing the crop. Hand labor Is too expensive. A good peanut plant CT 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 ob- tained. Finally, there should be a thrasher or peanut picker in tho neighborhood. When peanuts are being grown for the market very care ful attention must be given to the methods of harvesting so that we'll matured, well-dried product will bs sold
 For market production peanuts arc specially adapted to sandy loam, and 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 Tennes see or Virginia varieties.
 Plant in rows 30 to 36 inches wide i and space 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 moles cause annoyance, add little old fashioned pine tar.
 Be sure the seed Is well matured and will germinate. More poor stands are caused by poor seed than any i other cause.
 The seed-bed for peanuts should be well prepared and the crop should rc- 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 100 early and sacrifice the quality of the nuts When tops are cut for hay, the time of cutting should be delayed un. til some of the leaves are turning yellow. Very careful attention must be given to drying the nuts in shei- tered racks, when tops are removed. since under these conditions it Is not practicable to stack the nuts out in ] the open.