INSECTS AND DISEASES 447 



mercial product, and it is prepared by grinding the peanuts into 

 a fine emulsion. Peanut butter,, which is almost fifty per cent oil, 

 has the advantage of retaining its quality without becoming rancid, 

 and is adapted to a variety of uses. 



Peanut oil is also manufactured very extensively, the crushed 

 peanuts yielding about thirty per cent oil. It can be used as salad 

 oil in place of olive oil, though it is not considered as good as the 

 best grade of olive oil. Large quantities of peanut oil are produced 

 in Marseilles, France, from peanuts largely imported from India 

 -or north Africa. After the oil is extracted, the peanut cake makes 

 a valuable stock feed. 



Peanuts as a Stock Feed. It has long been the practice to 

 turn hogs into the peanut field after harvest to gather up the pods 

 that have been left. They are now regularly cultivated in many 

 places as feed for hogs, the animals being turned into the field to 

 harvest the crop for themselves. Hogs fatten readily on peanuts, 

 but should be corn-fed for some time before slaughter, as an 

 exclusive diet of peanuts produces a rather soft quality of meat. 



Peanut vines make an excellent quality of hay. As a hay crop 

 peanuts should be planted somewhat thicker than common. The 

 vines are cut with a mowing machine and cured like any other hay. 

 A yield varying from one to two tons per acre, cured hay, is 

 expected. Spanish peanuts are the favorite variety to grow for hay 

 crop. Peanut straw, if the vines are well cured, makes a very fair 

 stock feed, and is usually utilized for this purpose. 



Insects and Diseases. -Peanuts are quite free from insect 

 enemies. A small aphis sometimes works on the roots of the plant, 

 but is not considered a very serious pest. The principal injury 

 comes from insects that attack the peanut in storage ; however, they 

 can only attack those peanuts where the pods have been cracked, and 

 their control is only a problem of storing sound peanuts. The only 

 disease of importance is known as leaf spot and produces small 

 brown spots on the leaves; however, it only gives trouble during 

 very wet periods or on low, wet land. It is never known to give 

 trouble under other conditions. The disease can be controlled bj 

 spraying with Bordeaux mixture. 



