634 FIELD AND GARDEN PRODUCTS 



to hogs during the earlier part of the fattening period. A hog that 

 is fattened exclusively on peanuts will not yield a desirable grade of 

 meat or lard, as the meat will lack firmness and the lard be soft and 

 oily. Toward the end of the fattening period the hog should be fed 

 almost exclusively on corn. Hogs will eat considerable of the pea- 

 nut tops when pastured on them, and the plan of dividing the field 

 into small areas by portable fences and allowing the hogs to gather 

 the peas is perhaps the most economical. A method that has been 

 found very satisfactory is first to cut the peanut tops for hay, then 

 turn in hogs. By turning the hogs into the field for a short time 

 only each day, the injury to the soil will not be so great as if they 

 were left in continuously. 



Methods of Handling and Curing Peanuts for Forage. Where 

 the entire peanut plant is to be stored and used for feeding to stock 

 the work of curing and caring for the vines should be very much 

 the same as for market purposes, although the crop may be handled 

 very much in the same manner as cowpeas. By experience it has 

 been found most economical to harvest and stack the peanuts in ex- 

 actly the same manner as already described for market purposes; 

 however, the stacking may or may not be done so carefully. 



Peanut vines if handled in the same way as vines of the cowpea 

 yield a very desirable class of forage. Persons who have used the 

 peanut exclusively for feeding purposes claim that they have had 

 no difficulty in feeding it to all kinds of work animals, even driving 

 horses. It is well, however, to feed only a part ration of peanut vines 

 at first and to observe the animals until they become accustomed 

 to this form of diet. Under ordinary circumstances the plant is fed 

 without removing the nuts, but it may be well in some cases to pick 

 the peanuts from the vines and grind them, shell and all, and then 

 feed as a meal with the vines. (F. B. 431; F. B. 356.) 



(Additional References. Ark. E. S. B. 84; Ariz. E. S. F. B. 

 87 ; Hawaii P. B. 28 ; Ark. E. S. Cir. 5 ; Tenn. E. S. B. 2 ; Miss. E. S. 

 B. 130.) 



GROWING AND CURING HOPS. 



It is impossible to give a detailed account of methods of hop 

 growing which will apply in all sections of the United States. The 

 peculiar conditions of soil, climate, and location influence the pre- 

 vailing methods of culture as well as the varieties grown and render 

 it necessary for the practical grower to adopt those methods which, 

 according to his experience, are best suited to his conditions. 



CONDITIONS ESSENTIAL TO HOP GROWING. 



Climate. The hop plant can be grown generally throughout 

 the United States, but at present its commercial production is prac- 

 tically restricted to areas situated in the States of Oregon, California, 

 New York, and Washington. Small quantities are raised in Wiscon- 

 sin, Idaho, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Vermont, Ken- 

 tucky, and Ohio. ^ The industry has become sharply localized in dis- 

 tricts which furnish the most favorable conditions. Long and se- 

 vere winters frequently kill out many of the plants, and continued 

 damp or foggy weather is usually followed by severe attacks of lice 

 or mold. 



