PHILIPPINE AGRICULTURE 



cent of oil. In the United States, the oil is hardly more 

 than 25 per cent of the seeds; but the seeds without too 

 much oil are best to eat. The seeds are short-lived, es- 

 pecially if they are not very dry. 



Culture of Peanuts. The soil for peanuts should not 

 be cultivated more than 10 or at most 15 cm deep. On 



rich ground, the peanuts 

 should be planted 2.5 cm 

 deep, in rows 1 20 cm apart, 

 and 80 cm apart in each 

 row, with 2 nuts in each 

 place. On poorer ground 

 they may be planted closer 

 together. The plants will 

 come up in from 10 to 14 

 days. While they are still 

 young, they should be cul- 

 tivated shallowly, about three times. The flowers are 

 borne on short stalks in the axils of the leaves. After 

 blossoming, the flowers wither; then the flower-stalk 

 elongates, bends downward, and pushes the young seeds 

 or fruit into the earth. The seeds go down into the 

 ground as far as they can. If the ground is soft, they 

 will grow downward for a long time instead of ripening ; 

 and when they do ripen, they are hard to harvest and 

 many are lost. 



Harvesting Peanuts. When the crop is thoroughly 

 ripe, the ground is softened enough so that the plants 

 can be pulled out, with their fruit. If they are then left 



FIG. 60. Peanut plant with fruit 



