FARM MANAGEMENT IN SUMTER COUNTY, GA. ' 15 



tured, although many farmers picked part or all of the pods. In 

 1918 almost 50 per cent of the corn acreage on the white-owner farms 

 was interplanted with velvet beans, while not over 15 per cent of 

 the colored tenants were following this practice. The colored own- 

 ers interplanted a much larger proportion of their corn acreage to 

 cowpeas than to velvet beans. 



During the past few years the changes in economic conditions have 

 been very favorable to the increased production of peanuts. In 1913 

 practically all the peanuts were used for stock feeding, but since that 

 time conditions have changed so as to make them of more value as 

 a feed crop, owing to the increased production of hogs, and of much 

 greater importance as a cash crop. When the crop is grazed off, it 

 aids in maintaining soil fertility. 



In 1913 less than 2 per cent of the crop land was planted to pea- 

 nuts, and the peanuts were used almost entirely for feed. At that 

 time about one-half the peanuts were grown as first crop and one- 

 half planted with corn. In 1918 some 10 per cent of the crop land 

 was planted to peanuts on the white-owner farms and from 4 to 8 

 per cent under the other tenures. Over one-half of these were grown 

 as first crop and most of the others planted with corn. A few were 

 grown as a second crop, following the small grain. The increase in 

 importance of this crop as a cash crop is indicated by the sales of 

 peanuts in 1918. On the white-owner farms such sales amounted to 

 $2 per farni in 1913 and $352 in 1918. About one-half of the peanut 

 acreage in 1918 was sold as cash crop; the remainder was used as 

 feed for hogs. 



HAY AND PASTURE CKOPS. 



Cowpeas, velvet beans, and peanuts, previously discussed sepa- 

 rately, made up 95 per cent of the acreage in hay and pasture crops, 

 the greater part of which were grown as second crop after small 

 grains, or planted with other crops usually corn. Small acreages of a 

 number of other crops, such as oats, wheat, rye, sorghum, corn, millet, 

 rape, and crab grass, were also used by some of these farmers for 

 these purposes. 



OTHER CROPS. 



Sugar cane, sweet potatoes, and watermelons, raised mainly for 

 farm and home use, together occupied about 1 per cent of the total 

 crop area. There was a small increase in the acreage of these crops 

 in 1918, particularly among the white farmers. Sweet potatoes were 

 in particular favor for finishing hogs, because they produce more 

 solid meat than equal areas of peanuts. 



