432 LEGUMINOUS PLANTS. 



millipede, cut-worms and moles are all great enemies to the 

 peanut when first planted. Should the plumule ' fail to 

 make its appearance after ten days of favorable weather, 

 re-planting should begin. 



Bed peanuts are usually planted in ridges like cotton. 

 The seeds are dropped along in the furrow which is 

 opened on top the ridge, from eight to twelve inches apart, 

 and covered by a board, like cotton seed, some two inches 

 deep. About two and a half bushels in the hull are re- 

 quired to plant an acre. Very fertile lands are not suited 

 to this crop, for the reason that too much vine is objection- 

 able, as the peanuts continue to form without maturing. 

 For this reason very few fertilizers are used in making the 

 crop. 



The after culture of the peannt is very simple. Keep 

 down the weeds and stir the ground often with a harrow, 

 and finally with double shovels, so as to leave a loose sur- 

 face. The soil is usually thrown up to the red peanuts, but 

 level culture is demanded for the white. The crop is usu- 

 ally "laid by" about the first of August, the bunches of 

 grass escaping the plow being carefully cut out and the 

 the ground left light and loose. A dry spring is very 

 much to be desired in the cultivation of this crop. After 

 the spikelets begin to push down into the soil, frequent 

 showers are indispensable to a large yield. 



The crop of white peanuts is harvested by running a fur- 

 row on each side of the row with a bull-tongue plow or a 

 pea-digger, so as to dislocate the roots. Care must be 

 taken not to detach the nuts from the vine in running the 

 side furrow. After the plow has been run on eaeh side of 

 the row, (and it is sometimes necessary to run twice on a 

 side), then lift the vines gently with the hand, carefully 

 shaking the dirt off, and lay them on the ground. Let 

 them remain in this way, if the sun is shining, from six to 

 eight hours. The vines will wilt like clover, when they 

 may be brought together and stacked. 



