124 THE PEANUT— THE UNPREDICTABLE LEGUME 



Most of the well-drained soils in central and northern Florida are 

 satisfactory for growing peanuts, according to Killinger et al. (65) at 

 the Florida Experiment Station. These workers have observed that some 

 of the waste-pond phosphate fields and areas surrounding phosphate 

 mines and lime quarries are especially well adapted to the production of 

 high yields of peanuts. The Norfolk, Arredondo, Newberry, Orange- 

 burg, Ruston, Red Bay and Magnolia soil series are commonly used for 

 growing peanuts in Florida, while the "flatwood soils" are considered 

 poor for the production of this crop. 



Parham (84) reports that most of the peanuts produced in Georgia 

 are grown on Coastal Plain soils in the southern part of the State. In 

 areas where the peanuts are produced for market, the crop is grown on 

 some of the relatively heavy soils such as the Greenville, Magnolia and 

 Orangeburg. Lighter soils such as the Norfolk, Tifton and Ruston are 

 used primarily in areas where the peanuts are hogged oflf, according to 

 Parham. 



Downing, Aull, Goodman and Peterson (48) have classified the soils 

 of South Carolina into four groups based on their suitability for growing 

 peanuts. A description of these groups follows: 



"Group A: Excellent soil types for peanuts. Generally well drained 

 with sandy loam or similar textured surface layers and with friable sandy 

 clay loam on sandy clay subsoils beginning 10 to 24 inches below the 

 surface. The soil as a whole is at least 36 to 48 inches deep and may be 

 more. The topography is favorable for tillage operations and erosion is 

 not a major problem. 



"Group B : Good soil types for peanuts. Soils in this group, though 

 generally similar to those in Group A, differ in characteristics such as 

 thickness or texture of the surface layer, internal drainage, gravelliness 

 or stoniness, or slope. The surface layer of a good soil may have either a 

 lighter or heavier texture and may be shallower or deeper than that of 

 an excellent soil. 



"Group C : Fair soil types for peanuts. Soils in this group usually 

 have one or more unfavorable characteristics such as a fine textured, 

 very coarse textured, or very deep open or sandy upper layer, a notice- 

 able eroded condition, steep slope, or imperfect drainage. 



"Group D : Poor soil types for peanuts. Soils in this group are poor 

 for peanuts because of characteristics that limit production or prevent 

 proper cultivation of the land. Included are very sandy, very clayey, 

 hilly to mountainous, wet or swampy, and rocky soils. If these soils are 

 used for peanuts, yields will be very low." These suitability groups might 

 well apply to soils of other peanut-producing regions. 



