42 



Oil Production and Yield as Reported by the Oil Mills»^ 



From a questionnaire that was sent to a number of 

 Alabama oil mills known to be crushing peanuts, the 

 following facts were learned. These manufacturers are 

 using the Anderson Expeller type of mill, which has a 

 capacity ranging from 400 to 600 gallons of oil per day 

 of 24 hours. The operators of these mills report that 

 this machinery extracts from 92 to 95 percent of the oil 

 contained in the peanuts. 



They report from a ton of peanuts of the Spanish 

 varieties, from 600 to 700 pounds of oil and from 1200 

 to 1300 pounds of peanut cake or meal. A ready sale 

 for all peanut products is reported by the mills. 



Some mills report that the color of the shelled peas 

 is a matter of no importance. Others express a pre- 

 ference for "white" peanuts. All mills except the one 

 at Brundidge prefer the White Spanish variety. The 

 Brundidge mill prefers the North Carolina Runner, 

 stating that its yield is higher than the yield of Spanish. 

 The yield of peanuts in the locality of the mills in 1916 

 was estimated by the mills at 850 pounds of nuts per 

 acre, and the average price for the past season was 

 placed at about 3 cents per pound. 



Preparation and Planting. 



Peanuts are grown on a wide range of soils, sandy or 

 loamy being best adapted. Soils having considerable 

 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. Poor- 

 ly drained and sour land will not give good yields. 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 plow 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. 



