MISCELLANEOUS CROPS 



633 



turned out by means of a plow, cured, and stored for winter-feeding, 

 or hogs may be turned in to gather the crop. The following table 

 shows the comparative value of peanut hay: 



Comparative analysis of peanut hay and other hays. 



Peanut straw, consisting of the entire vine after the salable nuts 

 have been removed, has a somewhat higher feeding value than the 

 tops alone, due to the fact that many of the inferior pods are left in 

 the straw. Peanut straw is, however, not so bright or palatable for 

 feeding as are the peanut tops when cut and cured especially for hay. 



Value of the Entire Peanut Plant as Forage. Throughout that 

 portion of the Southern States where field corn does not yield a sat- 

 isfactory crop, the place of corn for feeding to animals may be 

 largely taken by the peanut. On some ranches where a large num- 

 ber of work animals are maintained the Spanish peanut, including 

 the entire plant, is practically the only feed used. 



The peanut vines and peas when chopped or ground together 

 form almost a balanced ration for a dairy cow. The following table 

 will give some idea of the comparative value of peanut products and 

 other feeding stuffs: 



Comparative analysis of peanuts and other feeding materials. 



Use of Peanuts for Fattening Hogs. As already suggested, the 

 peanut is a valuable feed for use in preparing hogs for market, the 

 usual custom being to turn the hogs into the peanut fields and allow 

 them to glean whatever is left after harvesting. In some sections 

 peanuts are being grown primarily for feeding to hogs. Poorly filled 

 nuts, broken peas, the germs, and waste products generally are fed 



