6o 



ARACHIS HYPOG.EA (PEA-NUT) 



It is interesting to note that the proportions of various 

 nutritive elements in tlie ordinar\' commercial pea-nut grown 

 in various localities, and in those grown at Reduit, are 

 practically identical. In relating the figures cited to i,ooo 

 kilos of fruit, the difference is only appreciable for phos- 

 phoric acid and lime; the potash, magnesia and sulphuric 

 acid remaining the same. 



I.\ THE siiEi.i s Whole fruits 



The pea-nut is cultivated either for the crop of fruit, 

 or for ploughing in as green manure. In the first case, 

 we have already seen what fertilizing substances may be 

 withdrawn from the soil by the harvest, and it is easy to 

 ascertain if the loss of these substances is balanced by the 

 price the crop fetches. The nitrogen may be neglected 

 through the very nature of the plant as one of the Legu- 

 minos^e, enriching the soil as it does in nitrogen, obtained 

 from the atmosphere, in spite of the amount withdrawn bv 

 the harvest. 



When sown between rows of canes, the weigiit of the 

 stems, while still green, may vary from 1,900 to 2,400 kilos. 

 When the stems have reached maturity from 24 to 28 tons 

 (metric) of green manure may be obtained from a full crop. 



In several experiments at Reduit, a crop sown between 

 rows of canes (one row in two) gave, at the end of three 



