1580 



ENCYCLOPEDIA OF PRACTICAL HORTICULTURE 



stacks as soon as the leaves and stems 

 are thoroughly free from dew or from 

 other moisture. Most growers follow the 

 practice of putting the peas in shock the 

 same day they are removed from the soil, 

 or those dug during the morning are 

 stacked in the afternoon and those dug 

 later in the day are stacked the follow- 

 ing morning as soon as they are free 

 from dew; however, any dew or rain will 

 discolor the pods. 



The essentials in caring for the crop 

 during the curing period are that the pea- 

 nuts be kept in small stacks, given an 

 abundance of air, and protected from both 

 the weather and injury from animals. 

 Owing to the fleshy nature of the stems 

 they cure quite slowly and are liable to 

 mildew if placed in large lots. 



In order to produce a good grade of 

 peanuts for the market it is necessary to 

 cure them in small stacks built around 

 a central stake or pole. The supply of 

 stakes should be ready in advance and 

 may be kept for use from year to year. 

 These stakes should consist of split or 

 round poles about three or four inches in 



Fig. 5. Negro Stacking Peanuts. 



diameter, seven feet in length, and sharp- 

 ened at both ends. For setting the stakes 

 in the ground a pointed bar of iron or a 

 crowwbar with which to make the holes 

 is necessary. The stakes should be set 

 in the ground to a depth of 12 to 18 

 inches and well tamped to make them 

 firm and solid. Before starting the 

 shock one or two pieces of lath are 

 nailed across the stake a few inches from 

 the ground, in order to prevent the pea- 

 nuts coming in direct contact with the 

 soil. In starting to build the shock a few 

 vines are laid across the pieces of lath 

 and the shock then built up by succes- 

 sive layers of vines, the pods being kept 

 well to the center and the tops to the out- 

 side. The stems should have sufficient 

 outward slope to shed water. Occasional- 

 ly a few vines should be hung around the 

 stake in order to tie the shock together. 

 By this method the pods will be near the 

 center and around the pole, where there is 

 an upward circulation of air and general 

 protection. When the shock has reached 

 the desired height, a bunch of vines is 

 rolled together and pressed down over the 

 point of the stake to form a top, or a 

 little grass or weeds may be used for 

 this purpose. 



Storage in barns is not advisable when 

 curing peanuts for market, but where 

 the entire plant is fed to stock the crop 

 may be handled in much the same manner 

 as cow peas, velvet beans, or a heavy 

 growth of clover. 



Picking and Cleaning 



Peanuts for market should be cured in 

 the shock at least three or four weeks 

 before picking. If the weather is dry and 

 windy immediately after harvesting, the 

 curing process will be quite rapid, but 

 should the weather conditions be unfav- 

 orable during this period the pods will 

 ripen more slowly. Too rapid curing is 

 not desirable, as the pods are likely to 

 shrivel and discolor. Peanuts should not 

 be picked from the vines until the pods 

 have become dry and the peas firm and 

 nutty, with the immature ones more or 

 less shrunken. As a rule very little is 

 to be gained by early marketing, and a 

 better grade of peanuts will be secured 



