CULTURAL PRACTICES 207 



peanuts and of standardizing tiie quality. If it can be done economically 

 and a satisfactory product produced, it will undoubtedly revolutionize pea- 

 nut growing. 



Picking. Peanuts are cured in a period of 4 to 6 weeks in the stack. In 

 windrows this period is reduced to about 2 weeks. The peanuts are 

 properly cured when the stems have become brittle enough to be broken 

 up and blown out, and when the kernels will split open when rolled be- 

 tween the fingers. There are two types of peanut pickers : One with a 

 cylinder similar to a grain thresher and the other a metal mesh with steel 



Figure IS. — Runner peanuts about 3 weeks after stacking. An excellent 

 stack in foreground. Fair stack at right, and poor stack at left. Note 

 that bottom of stack has settled away from the capping in the poor 

 stack. This is the usual result of loose stacking. 



teeth that tears the vines to pieces but has no cylinder. With either 

 type the peanut vine is thoroughly torn apart and the nuts cut from the 

 stems and vines by a series of revolving saws. The stacks are hauled to 

 the picker behind a specially rigged cart, on fiat-bottom wagons, on a 

 "dolly" or sled. In case wagons are used, usually one is being loaded with 

 stacks while another is being unloaded at the picker by feeding the pea- 

 nuts into the picker. 



In operation of the picker, care must be taken not to feed the machine 

 so rapidly that the pods are not cleaned properly. If the machine is 

 operated too fast, many of the nuts are forced out with the hay. The speed 

 of the fans and the picking machinery must be adjusted carefully so as 

 to take care of the particular lot of peanuts being picked. 



In many cases peanuts are custom picked and there is a tendency to 



