GROUNDNUTS 7 



and the crop occupies the ground for about four months 

 July to October corresponding to the period of 

 heavy rainfall in the country. When the branches 

 commence to wither, the whole plant is carefully pulled 

 up, so that the pods';' which are then mature, remain 

 attached. The plants are then stacked in the fields, and 

 are often covered over with the leaves of the fan-palm. 

 The green parts dry into a hay, which, when the pods 

 have been beaten out, is used as horse-fodder. The 

 advent of rain after stacking often does great damage 

 to the crop, but the occurrence is so rare that it has 

 been found difficult to induce the native to take common 

 precautions against it. During the last two years, 

 however, the Government have taken steps to enforce 

 a regulation with regard to this, and in consequence 

 drains are now generally cut around the stacks, and 

 coverings of palm-leaves are left on until the nuts are 

 ready to be beaten out. 



In the Jolah country raised platforms are constructed 

 for stacking this crop as well as others. After the nuts 

 have been beaten out from the dried plants, they are 

 winnowed by allowing them to fall from a slight eleva- 

 tion in a gentle breeze. 



A good crop of nuts in the Gambia is estimated at 

 about 44 bushels per acre, equivalent to over half a 

 ton, but larger yields are frequently obtained. The 

 Government standard bushel is used throughout the 

 country, and may contain from 25 to 31 Ibs. of unde- 

 corticated nuts. 



Experiments have been made from time to time, to 

 establish a three-kernel nut instead of the two-kernel 

 one, but the results obtained have not shown that any 

 advantage could be gained in this way. Other varieties 

 of nuts have been introduced and cultivated, but no 

 extensive planting of new kinds has yet been found 

 worth adoption. 



The plant seldom suffers from severe attacks of disease, 

 although a white fungus was prevalent in some localities 

 in 1906. This affection was termed "tio jarankaro " by 

 the Mandingoes. In the succeeding year it completely 

 disappeared, and has not been reported to have occurred 

 since. The extermination of this disease was doubtless 

 in a large measure due to the careful way in which 



