1582 



ENCYCLOPEDIA OF PRACTICAL HORTICULTrRl.: 



water, or even ilaniimess. as the shells in- 

 variably become ilarkeneil and discoloreil 

 by the addition of moisture. When prop- 

 erly cured the shells will be covered with 

 a fine, dry dust, and where this dust be- 

 comes moistened it adheres and forms a 

 brownish spot. If the peanuts show the 

 least trace of dampness after their re- 

 moval from the vines, they should be 

 spread on a floor or stored in a well-ven- 

 tilated building until thoroughly dry. 

 Many of the larger growers have pro- 

 vided narrow cribs similar to those em- 

 ployed for the storage of corn, and the 

 peanuts are kept in bulk until sold. When 

 the pods are thoroughly dry they may be 

 put into bags as they come from the ma- 

 chine, and either hauled direct to the 

 cleaning factory or stored in small lots. 



Preparation of Peanuts for Market 



As the peanuts come from the hands 

 of the pickers or the thrasher they con- 

 tain considerable rubbish and have more 

 or less adhering to the pods. The extent 

 to which the pods must be cleaned and 

 graded will depend upon the use to which 

 they are to be put; if for vending pur- 

 po.scs they will require a factory process, 

 but if for shelled nuts very little work 

 will be necessary to prepare them for the 

 sheller. Under the present status and 

 extent of the peanut industry the clean- 

 ing factory has become an important 

 factor, and the interests of the grower 

 and cleaner are correlative and should be 

 co-operative. Where Spanish peanuts are 

 grown on an extensive scale it may be 

 feasible for the farmer to own and oper- 

 ate a small shelling and cleaning outfit. 

 In the case of the large-podded varieties 

 several grades are made from one class 

 of stock, requiring an extensive, although 

 simple, equipment and the handling of 

 large quantities of nuts in order to make 

 the enterprise profitable. 



Methods of rieaiiinir Peanuts in the 

 Factor* 



The cleaning or factory process con- 

 sists chiefly in the removal of all dirt 

 and' the separating of the nuts into their 

 respective grades. In addition to grading, 

 the higher class product is treated to a 



polishing process, which gives the pods 

 a more attractive appearance when ex- 

 posed for sale. The modern peanut- 

 cleaning factory consists of a four or flve- 

 story building, which is supplied with 

 power, lighted by electricity and pro- 

 vided with elevators and bins for hand- 

 ling and storing the unclean nuts. It 

 also has a full equipment of fans, grading 

 machines, polishing drums and shellers, 

 and an abundance of lower-floor space for 

 the storage of the bags of nuts that are 

 ready for marketing. 



When the peanuts are received from 

 the farmer at the factory they are 

 weighed and then elevated to the top 

 floor of the factory. During the cleaning 

 and grading process they descend by 

 gravitation through the fans and graders, 

 are tumbled in the polishing drums to- 

 gether with a small quantity of marble 

 dust to whiten and polish the pods, are 

 passed on slowly moving belts between 

 lines of women who are expert in detect- 

 ing foreign matter and inferior nuts, and 

 finally drop Into bags on the lower floor. 



In the modern cleaning factory all dust 

 and refuse is removed by means of fans 

 and ventilators, the portions of sticks, 

 stems and broken shells being conveyed 

 to the boiler room and fed into the fur- 

 nace. One advantage of a factory process 

 is that nothing need be wasted, as all 

 broken or split peas can be worked into 

 the stock used in the manufacture of 

 peanut products. 



Cleaned Vines as Stock Food 



The peanut vine or straw from which 

 the nuts have been removed is of con- 

 siderable value for feeding purposes. 

 Where the peanuts are picked from the 

 vines by hand the stems become broken 

 and the greater portion of the leaves Is 

 lost, but where machines are used for 

 picking it is possible to save the straw 

 in fairly good shape. If the vines are 

 can'fully handled during the curing 

 process and then put in barns or stacks 

 that keep out rain, the straw when de- 

 livered from the thrasher will have a 

 feeding value about equal to clover hay. 

 If the vines are bright and clean after 

 the pods have been removed they can 



