The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1920-07-23
ITEMS OF INTEREST TO THE FARMER
- AND STOCK GROWER -
are beginning 10 realize It's value.

are beginning TO realize its value.
This IL a crop that can be grown on
any Of our ordinary lands that are
well enough drained TO avoid being
covered with water during rainy
time, and our limestone soils of the
central and western counties are es-
pecially suited for the production of
this profitable crop. The Spanish
variety of this crop can be planted up
q the Let OF August and give salts.
factory yield TO the producer.
This crop Is Utilized for two different
purposes One is for live stock feed
ing. either by grazing hogs on it in
the fall or harvesting and feeding, as
occasion demands it: the other IS
production for the vegetable oil mills.
This latter industry has assumed a
very important place within the last
few years, and farmers are beginning
TO realize that money. can be made
by growing peanut crop for the oil
mill, and the result that. by-products
make the best concentrated live sock
feed to be had from any source.
What we want especially to say at
this time regarding this crop is the
necessity of clean cultivation and
Proper methods of harvesting and
stacking when the crop is made.
harvesting
TIE 49,. 81 ge at which to harvest
this crop is problem to some farm
ers. but ii is recommended that when
er the vines show spotted condi
ton CT the leaves this indicates tina
the crop is fully made. There mav
some nuts not fully developed, but we
recommend the harvesting at this
stage so that the vines can be saved
as well as the nuts. Some of our
farmers NOW he vines and harvest
the nuts without them; others turn in
the hogs ON the fields and let the
hogs do the harvesting. This is not
TO be recommended, except in limit
ed degree. as bunch of hogs turned
in on large field are apt to develop
indigestion and retard their develop
ment, as this feed is very high in pro-
TEN and should be balanced by some
other feeds, such as corn or beans.
hut by fencing the field off in small
sections and providing other feed
there is no better hog feed known
than peanuts and corn or beans with
it, and plenty of succulent pasture
should also be provided.
Stacking
The method recommends for har-
vesting is to take up the entire crop
by neans of a regular peanut digger,
Irish potato digger, pillow or sarp cat
tins sweep, and Immediately after
harvesting they should be stacked in
the field. If the vines are allowed
TO lie in the field for too long after
being dug the hot sun will diminish
their value as hay, and the crop
should be stacked the day it is dug If
possible.
/ The best method of stacking is
around poles in the field. Ten-fOot
poles are recommended. set about two
feet in the ground, with substantial
cross bars nailed fully a foot above
the ground. The vines should be laid
On these bars carefully, with the nuts
always toward the poles, and care
sh~1ld be exercised that the stacking
is done uniformly around the pole SO
that there will not be higher side to
/ it after the crop is cured. This sack
can be made ten or more inches above
the pole, and as they settle back in
curing the pole should appear just
fe& inches above the top. A FORK
full of hay should be thrown ON the
top after finished. for the purpose of
shedding rain. If more ample pro-
lection should be required, ordinary
roofing paper cut the desired lengths
and a hole made for the pole to come
thru can be laid on top.
Winter Cover Crops
Some farmers object to stacking in
the field as it interfears with plant
ing a winter cover crop, but if the
rows are laid OF straight, not less
than forty feet apart, considerable dis