PEANUTS 



1577 



ImproYement by Selection 



The seed should not only be selected 

 from plants that are mature, but from 

 those producing a large number of ma- 

 ture pods as well. By doubling the num- 

 ber of well-filled pods on each plant the 

 yield for each acre will also be doubled. 

 Many millions of bushels have been added 

 to the corn crop of the country simply 

 through the selection and improvement of 

 seed. 



What has been done with corn is pos- 

 sible with the peanut, and where we now 

 have an average yield of 34 bushels to the 

 acre it is reasonable to expect this to be 

 increased to 50 or 60 bushels through seed 

 and cultural improvements. 



Planting Shelled or Whole Seed 



In planting the large-pod varieties it is 

 desirable for several reasons that the 

 seed be shelled. In the first place the 

 planting machines now in general use 

 are adapted to handling the shelled seed 

 only.* Second, when planting whole pods 

 there is always a doubt regarding their 

 being well filled, and a poor stand may re- 

 sult. Third, pods containing two or more 

 seeds will produce more than one plant 

 in a hill, causing a waste of seed and a 

 crowding together of the plants. Fourth, 

 whole seed is slower in germinating than 

 shelled seed. With the Spanish variety 

 the case is quite different, as several of 

 the machines will handle the whole nuts, 

 the pods are invariably filled, the crowd- 

 ing together of the plants is no great dis- 

 advantage, and the few days extra time 

 required for germination is of little conse- 

 quence. 



Virginia nuts intended for seed should 

 always be shelled by hand, but the Span- 

 ish are sometimes shelled by machinery, 

 although their germination is invariably 

 injured when so handled. Many grow- 

 ers of the Spanish peanut practice soak- 

 ing the unshelled nuts in water previous 

 to planting. Soaking for a few hours will 

 hasten germination, but if for any reason 

 the seed can not be planted immediately 

 it will be lost. Shelled seed should never 

 be soaked before planting. 



Time and Methods of Planting 



The time for planting peanuts is in the 

 spring after the soil has become thorough- 

 ly warm. In order to secure a good stand, 

 the seed should not be put in the ground 

 until there is sufficient warmth to ger- 

 minate it quickly. As a rule peanuts 

 should be planted a trifle later than corn 

 and beans. The Spanish variety may be 

 planted somewhat later than the Virginia 

 type, as it requires less time to complete 

 its growth. 



Distance to Plant 



A common distance between rows is 

 36 inches, but this varies somewhat ac- 

 cording to the soil and variety. For the 

 Virginia Runner variety on good soil the 



Fig. 2. Machine for Marking Land and Sowing 

 Fertilizer. 



distance between rows should be at least 

 36 inches, and 12 inches between the 

 plants in the rows. Virginia Bunch pea- 

 nuts may be in rows as close together as 

 30 inches, and seven to nine inches 

 apart in the rows. The Spanish and 

 Tennessee Red varieties are planted in 

 rows from 28 to 36 inches apart and 7 

 to 9 inches apart in the rows accord- 

 ing to the fertility of the soil. On rich 

 soils, where the spread of vine will be 

 great, the maximum distance between 

 rows as well as between plants in the 

 row should be allowed. 



Quantity of Seed Kequired 



The quantity of seed peanuts required 

 to plant an acre will depend somewhat 

 upon the distance of planting. As a rule 

 one-half bushel of shelled Virginia peas 



