MISCELLANEOUS CROPS 621 



the two plants will generally give a better yield than where the plants 

 grow singly. 



Depth to Cover the Seed. The depth to which the seed should 

 be covered will depend somewhat upon the character of the soil. On 

 heavy soils three-fourths inch to 1 1 A inches will be sufficient, while 

 on light sandy soils IVfc to 2 inches may not be too deep. 



Tools and Methods of Planting. Peanuts are generally planted 

 in rows that are cultivated in one direction only. Some growers fol- 

 low the practice of first marking the land with an implement similar 

 to the ordinary corn marker. Others open a furrow with a one-horse 

 plow, then after the fertilizer has been distributed in the furrow the 

 plow is again used and a slight ridge thrown up. There is now on 

 the market a tool of a type which sows the fertilizer, throws up a 

 slight ridge, and at the same time indicates the position of the next 

 row. The greater portion of the peanut crop is planted with the one- 

 horse planters. These machines are similar in many respects to a 

 cotton planter. Where the Spanish and similar varieties are planted 

 in the shell the usual method is to open a small furrow, drop the seed 

 by hand, then cover it by means of a small harrow or cultivator with 

 a notched board fastened across the back of the implement. 



General Cultivation. Cultivation of the peanut crop should be- 

 gin immediately after planting and continue until the vines occupy 

 the ground. The work of cultivation should be pursued very much 

 the same as for corn, beans, and all similar crops. Frequent shallow 

 cultivation that will keep the soil loose and prevent the loss of moist- 

 ure is essential. Shortly after rains the surface soil should be stirred 

 and during dry weather a dust mulch maintained. During the later 

 cultivations it will be desirable to work the soil toward the rows to 

 provide a bed of loose earth in which the pods may form. 



After the peanuts begin to peg, or form pods, they should not 

 be disturbed or given further cultivation. The old idea that the blos- 

 soms of the peanut must be covered is erroneous, although growers 

 frequently allow considerable soil to be thrown over the vines during 

 the final cultivation. For the last cultivation it is a common practice 

 to employ a tool that will both throw the soil toward the rows and 

 leave a furrow in the middle of the alley to carry off water during 

 heavy rains. Common crab-grass is one of the most troublesome 

 weeds of the peanut fields, and it is often necessary to resort to hand 

 hoeing in order to keep this and other weeds out of the rows. If the 

 crop is kept well worked with horse tools, very little hand labor will 

 be required. 



Tools Adapted to Cultivating Peanuts. Most implements that 

 are adapted to the cultivation of corn or cotton will be found suitable 

 for handling the peanut crop. For the first two or three cultivations 

 a one-horse weeder of special type may be used crosswise of the rows. 

 After the plants are tall enough so the rows can be followed, a spring- 

 tooth riding cultivator is desirable, while for the later workings the 

 same implement can be used by changing the spring teeth for regu- 

 lar cultivator shovels. For one-horse cultivation the ordinary cotton 

 sweep is frequently used, but a cultivator provided with several styles 



