FARM MANAGEMENT IN SUMTER COUNTY, GA. 15 
tured, although many farmers picked part or all of the pods. In 
1918 almost 50 per cent of the corn acreage on the white-owner farms 
was interplanted with velvet beans, while not over 15 per cent of 
the colored tenants were following this practice. The colored own- 
ers interplanted a much larger proportion of their corn acreage to 
cowpeas than to velvet beans, 
PEANUTS. 
During the past few years the changes in economic conditions have 
been very favorable to the increased production of peanuts. In 19138 
practically all the peanuts were used for stock feeding, but since that 
time conditions have changed so as to make them of more value as 
a feed crop, owing to the increased production of hogs, and of much 
greater importance as a cash crop. When the crop is grazed off, it 
aids in maintaining soil fertility. 
In 1913 less than 2 per cent of the crop land was planted to pea- 
nuts, and the peanuts were used almost entirely for feed. At that 
time about one-half the peanuts were grown as first crop and one- 
half planted with corn. In 1918 some 10 per cent of the crop land 
was planted to peanuts on the white-owner farms and from ¢ to 8 
per cent under the other tenures. Over one-half of these were grown 
as first crop and most of the others planted with corn. A few were © 
erown as a second crop, following the small grain. The increase in 
importance of this crop as a cash crop is indicated by the sales of 
peanuts in 1918. On the white-owner farms such sales amounted to 
$2 per farm in 1913 and $352 in 1918. About one-half of the peanut 
acreage in 1918 was sold as cash crop; the remainder was used as 
feed for hogs. 
HAY AND PASTURE CROPS. 
Cowpeas, velvet beans, and peanuts, previously discussed sepa- 
rately, made up 95 per cent of the acreage in hay and pasture crops, 
the greater part of which were grown as second crop after small 
grains, or planted with other crops usually corn. Small acreages of a 
number of other crops, such as oats, wheat, rye, sorghum, corn, millet, 
rape, and crab grass, were also used by some of these farmers for 
these purposes. 
OTHER CROPS. 
Sugar cane, sweet potatoes, and watermelons, raised mainly for 
farm and home use, together occupied about 1 per cent of the total 
crop area. There was a small increase in the acreage of these crops 
in 1918, particularly among the white farmers. Sweet potatoes were 
in particular favor for finishing hogs, because they produce more 
solid meat than equal areas of peanuts. 
