PEANUT 473 



appear above ground, the peanut field may be tilled with 

 a weeder. As soon as the line of plants can be seen, 

 tillage begins with some form of cultivator equipped with 

 fine teeth or with scrapes. After the young plants have 

 attained some degree of toughness, the weeder is brought 

 into use at frequent intervals. It is best run diagonally 

 across the rows. By this means much of the young grass 

 along the line of the drill is destroyed, thus saving much 

 work with the hoe. One hoeing, or, if necessary, a second 

 one is given, but only when needed. Grass growing 

 among the prostrate branches of the running varieties 

 should be pulled by hand ; large weeds in such positions 

 are better cut off, since the pulling of large grass or weeds 

 after the nuts form, disturbs the buried nuts and does 

 more harm than good. 



The cultivator is used as often as necessary. The first 

 cultivation may be rather deep. Unless level culture is 

 practiced, it is customary for the cultivator to throw some 

 earth around and among the plants, thus making a low 

 ridge or bed of loose soil in which the " pegs " may become 

 imbedded. 



455. Rotation. Peanuts should generally follow a 

 crop kept clean by the use of the hoe. Among such crops 

 are cotton and sweet and Irish potatoes. 



When the vines are returned to the land and evenly 

 distributed, or when the crop is grazed on the land, the 

 peanut enriches the soil, especially in nitrogen. However, 

 when peanuts are grown for market, both the nuts and 

 vines are usually removed from the land, making a heavy 

 draft on soil fertility, and necessitating a judicious rota- 

 tion. On some fields in the peanut region this crop is 



