Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-03-30
AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION
BY DR.. ANDREW M. SOULE

possible. Breaking the land to a
considerable depth is good practice,
because this gives the peanuts a
larger and deeper area of soil
through which to range. arious
methods of planting have been fol-
lowed. Since the peanuts are in
clined to sprout slowly it is not
good practice to plant while the
ground is still cold. A good plant to
follow is to seed peanuts comewhat
later than corn or cotton. OF course.
relatively late planting may be fol-
| lowed with Spanish peanuts in the
Coastal plain area. Level planting
is the best practice for this section.
Shallow burrows should be made
with small shovel plow. The pea
nuts may then be dropped in the
furrow by hand or with the planter.
Soils that are not we'll drained may
of course be ridged for planting. The
distance apart will vary. With the
runner varieties 35 feet is a good
distance. With the Spanish, rows
80 to So inches apart will answer
very Weel. Peanuts should be cult
waited with shallow surface-working
implements and rather frequently
after they get out of the ground.
blowing should be continued until
the vines begin to peg or form pods.
The type of cuitivators used for
for corn or cotton may be adjusted
to suit the peanut crop satisfactor-
lily. The later cultivation should be
designed to throw some earth to-
wards the plants. 1t is very i'm
portant that the soil be kept soft
and we'll supplied with moisture so
as to enable the peanuts to peg down
more readily.
Various methods of harvesting
may be followed. AS the peanut crop
does not ripen evenly it requires
good judgment to determine just
when digging should begin. The
common method of practice is to
plow the vines out with a turning
plow and then gather the peanuts
together with forks, shake them free
from the soil and pile them in small
punches around a. stake set firmly in
the ground. Two-horse diggers hav-
ing a middle buster which runs
with uniform depth between the pea
nuts are also used to some extent.
Potato diggers may also be used, but
they wear out rapidly in the sandy
grown. The lifting of the vines and
may be accomplished with side de-
livery rake.
Peanuts should be stacked a few
hours after digging. Owing to the
thick, heavy nature Of the peanut
vine its stems and pods cure up slow
ly and are likely to mildew if put
up in large Or poorly ventilated
shocks. The poles for the peanut
stacks should be about 4 inches in
diameter and 7 to 8 feet long, sharp
ened at both ends and driven into the
ground IL to IS inches. The holes
may be made with crowbar Two
strips Of lath say 10 inches long
should be nailed to each pole at a
height of inches above the ground
to prevent the peanuts from coming
directly in contact with the soil.
This is very important matter in
order to secure uniform and satisfac-
tory" curing of the vines and also the
proper curing and preservation of the
peanuts under conditions which will
insure their bringing the best price
on the market.
Pea uts, Of course, can be picked
and threshed satisfactorily by ma
chinery. One of these is a machine
especially manufactured for the
purpose and the other Is grain
separator which if. properly adjust
ed as to speed Of the cylinder may
be used satisfactorily for threshing
Spanish peanuts and other small
podded varieties. There Are of
| course, other types of machinery
Whlcho an be used satisfactorily
Peanuts should only be threshed
when dry, and great care should be
taken to gather and clean them prop
| erly.
The yields will vary from IS to
100 bushels per acre. Even 400
bushe1 yields are on record. Span
1sh peanuts weigh about 80 pounds
per bushel, while the larger varieties
are lighter. The cost of production
for commercial purposes varies anv-
where from $50 to $50 per acre. At
present prices for peanuts they can,
therefore, be grown to good adj
vantage and with profit.