1 66 AGRICULTURE 



There are two principal kinds of peanuts, the Spanish and 

 the running. The Spanish variety has short, upright stems 

 and small nuts, which are firmly attached to the plant. 

 The running peanuts have larger nuts and require more 

 labor in harvesting. 



Water" melons. Every Southern farm needs its water- 

 melon patch for producing melons for home consumption. 

 The watermelon is also an important sale crop. From 

 some localities thousands of car loads are shipped each 

 year. Varieties for shipping should have a firm rind, 

 which often accompanies rather inferior quality. For 

 home use there are numbers of good varieties. 



The watermelon likes a warm, sandy, well-drained soil. 

 If the soil is poor, manure should be freely used. The 

 field should be thoroughly plowed and then marked off into 

 checks 10 by 10 or 10 by 8 feet. Where these check fur- 

 rows cross, work into the soil one or two shovelfuls of 

 well-rotted compost, made of manure and wood mold 

 or of manure and cotton seed. On the manure, sprinkle 

 a handful of complete commercial fertilizer or guano. 

 With a hoe mark two trenches one inch deep across 

 each hill. Plant at least six seeds in one of the trenches. 

 A week later plant a like number in the other trench in 

 each hill. Thus if frost kills the earlier plants there 

 will be later ones to take their place. 



Thin to two plants in a hill and cultivate shallow, fre- 

 quently, and in both directions. Avoid unnecessary mov- 

 ing of the vines, or cultivation while the leaves are wet 

 Before cultivation ceases sow a row of cowpeas between 

 the rows of watermelon hills. 



