PEANUTS. 431 



in Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia, Alabama and Ten- 

 nessee, 'Virginia taking the lead in its production. 



The principal peanut growing counties in Tennessee are 

 Perry, Hickman, Humphreys, Dickson and Lewis. Two 

 varieties are known in Tennessee, the red and the white. 

 The red grows with an erect stem and is more easily culti- 

 vated, the largest portion of the work being done with the 

 plow. The white peanut grows flat on the ground, spread- 

 ing-out and forming' the rigid, deflexed stalk to which the 

 forming pod is attached in the ground. The white is the 

 most prolific, is later in coming to maturity than the red, 

 but brings usually a better price in market. The red ma- 

 tures better because earlier, and yields fewer imperfect ones 

 called " puffs " or "pops." 



An argillaceous soil, filled with light pebbles, so as to 

 make it loose and prevent baking, is the best for peanuts. 

 The brighter the pebbles and clay the better the peanuts, 

 the color of the soil affecting the color of the peanut and 

 their markst value. Uplands^ with an original growth of 

 hickory and white oak, with a light clay, are greatly prefer- 

 red for this reason to the black soils of the bottoms. While 

 the latter may yield a greater quantity of nuts per acre, 

 they are not so marketable, and are classed among the lower 

 grades. 



The land is usually preparred in April, after the danger 

 of frost is past. It is seldom subsoiled, but well harrowed, 

 so as to pulverize it thoroughly. For white peanuts it is 

 then checked off in rows two and a half or three feet apart, 

 and two kernels, after being carefully hulled by hand, are 

 dropped, like corn, at the intersection of the furrows, and 

 covered with a hoe an inch and a half or two inches deep. 

 It is often difficult to obtain a good stand. Should the 

 land become compacted, after planting, by a hard rain, a har- 

 row should be run over it, when sufficiently dry, to break 

 the obstructing crust so that the plumule, which is very deli- 

 cate and tender, can push its way to the surface. The brown 



