44 



riety insures more prompt germination and a better 

 stand. 



Cultivation. 



It is well to harrow the rows to destroy the young 

 weeds and grass before the peanuts come up. One culti- 

 vation or more with a weeder or light spike-tooth har- 

 row should be given before the plants get much growth. 

 Following this time, the ordinary implements used for 

 the cultivation of cotton may be employed. The cul- 

 tivation may continue close up to the plant, until the 

 fruit stems begin to form, after which time the culti- 

 vating implements should not run close to the row. 

 The covering of the blooms with dirt is unnecessary. 



Harvesting. 



The tops of the vines usually turn yellow and some 

 of the leaves begin to drop off when the peanuts are 

 ripe. If the harvesting is delayed the early maturing 

 nuts of the Spanish varieties may sprout in the ground. 



The harvesting may be done by hand or plow. Va- 

 rieties whose pods cling well may be pulled up from 

 very sandy land by hand. This is a slow method. An 

 ordinary turning plow with its mold board removed 

 to avoid covering the plants may be employed to raise 

 the plants. The bunches may be collected in piles with 

 an ordinary hay fork. 



Curing and Picking. 



The plants are usually left on the ground, after har- 

 vesting, for at least two or three hours. They should 

 then be stacked. This is done by firmly setting up 

 stakes about 6 feet high, at the bottom of which are 

 nailed two or three cross pieces 3 or 4 feet long. Around 

 this stake the plants are stacked with the vines exposed, 

 and the nuts inward. Ventilation is thus secured for 

 the peanuts within, while they are protected from the 

 weather by the vines. 



From 15 to 20 such stacks will be necessary for one 

 acre. The stacks should be capped with grass and 

 remain 3 or 4 weeks in the field until the pods have 

 become dry. They are then ready for a picker. 



Some of the Florida growers have made use of a 

 curing shed. On the posts are spiked cross timbers 

 and on these timbers horizontal poles are placed suf- 



