17 



acre, and the average price for the past season was 

 placed a I about 'A cents per pound. 



Preparation and Planting. 



Peanuts are grown on a wide range of soils, but those 

 best adapted are sandy or loamy. Soils having con- 

 sideral)le clay and lime produce good crops. A hard 

 compact soil is poorly adapted because the pod stems 

 called "needles" or "pegs" do not penetrate its surface, 

 nor is poorly drained and sour land well suited. The 

 mechanical condition of the soil is important. A 

 liberal amount of humus, and lime and available plant 

 food is essential to securing the largest yields. 



Land intended for peanuts and not occupied by a 

 winter crop should be plowed in the early spring. In 

 case it is so occupied, the soil should be plowed as soon 

 as the spring crop is removed. Where there is con- 

 siderable trash on the surface from some preceding 

 crop, this trash should be plo\\ ed under before planting 

 in time for it to rot or at least to permit the soil to 

 settle. About the same treatment given to land to pre- 

 pare it for cotton is sufficient to prepare it for peanuts. 



The importance of planting peanuts after a clean 

 cultivated crop should not be overlooked. If the pre- 

 ceding crop had an abundance of grass and weeds it 

 will be difficult to keep the peanut crop clean. It is 

 not good practice to plant peanuts after peanuts. Some 

 regular system of rotation of crops should be followed. 



Planting a row of peanuts in the middles of corn rows, 

 as practiced in southeast Alabama, has the advantage 

 of making a peanut crop with little expense except the 

 cost of the seed and the planting. The peanuts are 

 cultivated at the same time the corn is cultivated. This 

 is a satisfactory practice where the peanuts are gather- 

 ed by hogs (except that it increases the amount of 

 fencing) ; but when they are gathered for commercial 

 purposes, the corn plants hinder the harvesting. 



The peanuts are not planted on high beds because 

 such beds dry out quickly, which condition tends to 

 make a poor stand. 



For the bunch variety, the rows may be made from 

 21/^ to 3 feet wide, that is just wide enough to permit 

 easy cultivation with ordinary cultivating implements. 

 For the running variety, the rows should be from 3 to 

 31/^ feet wide. 



