616 FIELD AND GARDEN PRODUCTS 



come hard or compact are not adapted to peanut growing, owing to 

 the inability of the pod stems or pegs to penetrate the surface. 



Soils that are poorly drained or sour are not suited to the peanut. 

 The ideal soil consists of a sandy loam containing a reasonable 

 amount of humus, or vegetable matter, together with an abundance 

 of lime. A soil having a suitable mechanical consistency is the first 

 essential. Soils lacking in fertility can be improved by a proper crop- 

 ping system or by the judicious use of manures. 



The cultivation of the peanut for commercial purposes has until 

 recently been confined chiefly to areas in Virginia, Tennessee, the 

 Carolinas, and Georgia. During recent years the industry has become 

 established throughout the South Atlantic States and westward to 

 and including California. Over a large part of this section a good 

 grade of marketable nuts can be grown. This area, it will be ob- 

 served, is one within which the frost-free season is comparatively 

 long, and much of the territory has a soil containing a large per- 

 centage of sand or alluvial matter, making it easily cultivated and 

 well adapted to the peculiar habits of the peanut plant. There are 

 undoubtedly many sections outside of this area that can be profitably 

 devoted to the production of peanuts for stock food, and a few regions 

 where they can be grown commercially. 



The climatic requirements of the peanut are a long season with- 

 out frost, a comparatively light rainfall during the growing period, 

 abundant sunshine, and a high temperature. The peanut is slightly 

 more susceptible to injury from frost than the common bunch bean 

 and requires a somewhat longer season for its development. The 

 Spanish peanut will mature in ninety days under the most favorable 

 conditions, but one hundred and ten to one hundred and twenty days 

 should be allowed. The large-podded varieties require a longer period 

 for best results. 



Preparation of the Soil. The time for plowing the land to be 

 planted to peanuts will depend somewhat upon its previous treatment. 

 If the land has been in corn the season before and a crop of crimson 

 clover was sown at the time the corn was laid by, it will be desirable to 

 plow the land just before the clover blooms in order to get the great- 

 est benefit from it as a green manure. If the land is in sod it will be 

 desirable to break it during autumn or winter. If there is no crop on 

 the land the plowing need only be done in time for planting, or 

 rather but a short time before planting, in order to allow the soil to 

 settle. Where a crop of crimson clover is turned under, the soil 

 should be thoroughly harrowed and rolled in order to obtain a com- 

 pact seed bed and to retain moisture. 



Depth of Plowing. The depth of plowing will depend some- 

 what upon the character and depth of the surface soil. On sandy 

 soils that are underlaid by a clay subsoil it would be unwise to bring 

 a very great quantity of the subsoil to the surface. If the surface soil 

 is not of sufficient depth, it should be increased by plowing a very 

 little deeper each year until a sufficient depth is reached. As a gen- 

 eral rule the depth of plowing for peanuts should not be quite so 

 great as that for corn in the same locality. From 5 to 7 inches of loose 



