240 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 



slight mounds, the trough between which will carry off the 

 water during a rainy season and keep the crop dry. After. 

 a field is well established there is little danger from drought. 



Harvesting peanuts. 



About two months after the last plowing, the earlier 

 nuts begin to ripen. In a dry season, the vines may be 

 left in the field until the greater part of the crop is ripe, 

 if there is little danger from frost ; but in Virginia the crop 

 has to be harvested before the first frost, as the nuts and 

 vines are severely damaged by it. During a rainy autumn 

 it is necessary to watch the crop, and harvest it before 

 the earlier ripened nuts begin to sprout. 



For removing the vines, a plow with a long sweep is 

 often used. This share or blade passes along on each side 

 of the row under the nuts and cuts off the roots. This 

 implement may be likened to a stirring plow with the mold- 

 board removed. The share is regulated to such a depth as 

 to work as near the surface as possible without cutting 

 any of the nuts. A machine potato-digger will do the 

 work well, and special peanut diggers are also used which 

 dig, clean, and bunch the vines. 



When the plow is used, laborers follow it and raise the 

 vines with a pitchfork, at the same time shaking off all 

 the dirt. Two rows of vines are tossed together into a 

 windrow. These are allowed to dry for a few hours and 

 then stacked. A pole about seven feet long is put into 

 the groimd firmly and the vines piled around this. Before 

 stacking, some sticks of wood are laid down around the 

 pole to keep the vines off the ground. The stacks are 

 made as narrow as possible, to give them a good chance 



