162 



THE PEANUT— THE UNPREDICTABLE LEGUME 



higher yields of crops following hogged peanuts were probably due in 

 part to the nitrogen returned to the soil in plant residues. 



Other experiments in Alabama (2) have shown that when peanuts 

 were dug the yields of the succeeding crops were decreased, but when 

 harvested by hogs the yields of the following crops were increased. Thus 

 the method of harvesting may determine whether peanuts are soil deplet- 

 ing or whether they may actually increase the productivity of the soil. 



» All rows 3J^ feet apart; alternate rows in corn, and peanuts. All fertilizers, 600 pounds per acre 

 0-10-4, apolied to cotton. 



b Runner peanuts all years — vines returned to the land at Brewerton and Prattville, 

 " Kalmia fine sandy loam. 

 ^ Greenville fine sandy loam. 

 « Dewey silt loam. 



It should be pointed out that the differences in yields of crops following 

 peanuts harvested by the two methods would undoubtedly be smaller 

 were more fertilizer applied to the dug peanuts to compensate for the 

 nutrients removed by the crop. Thus it appears likely that the produc- 

 tivity of these soils could be maintained to a large extent through ade- 

 quate fertilization. 



While the peanut is considered to be one of the most soil-depleting 

 crops grown in this country, there is nothing unique in the ability of this 

 crop to reduce the productivity of soils. Other crops would undoubtedly 

 be equally as injurious were they harvested as peanuts normally are. In 

 some sections of the world, notably in certain localities in Africa, the tops 

 are left on the soils after the nuts are picked. When such a practice is fol- 



