t . " . BULLETIN No. 193 FEBRUARY, 1917 ALABAMA Agricultural Experiment Station OF THE Alabama Polytechnic Institute AUBURN PEANUTS Tests of Varieties and Fertilizers By J. F. DUGGAR, E. F. CAUTHEN, J. T. WILLIAMSON, O. H. SELLERS. 1917 Post Publishing Company Opelika, Ala. COMMITTEE OF TRUSTEES ON EXPERIMENT STATION HON. HON. R.F. KOLB- -- -- -- -----------J. A. S. ROGERS--------------------------MCDOWVELL, JR.--------------------------- -- ------ Montgomery --Gainesville Eufaula HON. A. W.BELL HON. C. __ ________Anniston -______ STATION 'STAFF C. C. THACLI, President of the College J. F. DUGGAR, Director of Experiment Station and Extension AGRICULTURE: HORTICULTURE: J. F. Dugga, Agriculturist. E. F. Cauthen, Associate. M. J. Funchess, Associate. J. T. Williamson, Yield Agt. 0. H. Sellers, Assistant. 0. L. Howell, Assistant. F. E. Boyd, Assistant.. VETERINARY G. . C. Starcher, Horticulturist. C. C. Price, Associate. -, Field Agent. ENTOMOLOGY: SCIENCE: C. A. Gary, Veterinarian. CHEMISTRY: W. E. Hinds, Entomologist. F. L. Thomas, Assistant. E. A. Vaughan, Field Asst. ANIMAL HUSBANDRY : Chemist, Soils. and Crops. C. L. Hare, Physiological Chemist. Assistant. -, BOTANY: W. J. Robbins, Botanist. A. B. Massey, Assistant. PLANT PATHOLOGY : G. L. Peltier, Pathologist, S. Templeton, Animal Husbandman. H. C. Ferguson, Assistant. E. Gibbens, Assistant. F. W. Wendt, Assistant. A. E. Hayes, Assistant. G. AGRICULTURAL ENGJ NEERING: R. U. Blasingame, tural Agricul- Engineer. PEANUTS-TESTS OF VARIETIES AND FERTILIZERS By J. F. E. F. J. T. WILLIAMSON, 0. H. SELLERS, SUMMARY. DUGGAR, CAUTHEN, The average yield of unshelled peanuts obtained from regular variety tests, made in different parts of the State and covering a period of five years, ranged from 871 pounds of McGovern to 1244 pounds of Red Spanish per acre. Taking the yield of Red Spanish as a basis (100 percent), the percentage yield of the different varieties averaged as follows: -Red Spanish _1------------0 Tennessee Red- -86 Valencia White Spanish McGovern .91 _---, 88 87 Virginia Bunch_ .. -. 8.6 VirginiaRunner--------8.85 North Carolina Runner 84 The average percentage of shelled nuts or."meats" of each variety, obtained by carefully weighing and hand-shelling a given amount of dry unshelled peanuts, shows a remarkably wide variation, from 39.3 percent in Jumbo to 75.1 percent in White Spanish. The true commercial value of the crop of an acre is based, not on the number of pounds of unhulled peanuts, but on the number of pounds of "meats" produced. The common varieties of peanuts are divided into two great classes-those having an upright or bunch habit of growth, and those having a low spreading or running habit. To the bunch varieties belong the White Spanish, Red Spanish, Valencia, Virginia Bunch, and Tennessee Red. Among the running varieties are the North Carolina or African, Virginia Runner, McGovern, and the Running Jumbo. In a number of experiments (Table IV) there were found great differences in the weight of single unshelled peanuts, of "peas" of different varieties, and the "peas" per pod. The average percentage of heaviest unshelled peanuts were the Tennessee Red .sound (246 pods to the pound), and the lightest, the White Spanish (461 pods to the pound). of sound Based on the average percentage nuts of each variety and of its oil content, the varieties arranged according to the number of pounds of oil White produced per ton take the following rank: Spanish 702 pounds, Red Spanish 693 pounds, Valencia 572 pounds, McGovern 548 pounds, Tennessee Red 527 pounds, North Carolina Runner 524 pounds, Virginia Runner 493 pounds, and Jumbo 354 pounds. The average yield of unshelled peanuts as reported by Alabama oil mills, is estimated at 850 pounds per acre. From a ton of Spanish peanuts the mills obtain from 600 to 700 pounds of oil, and from 1200 to 1300 pounds of peanut cake. All the oil mills reporting preferred the White Spanish variety, except one mill which preferred the North Carolina Runner because it is claimed that the yield of the latter per acre is in excess of the other varieties. From many complete fertilizer tests with peanuts, located in different parts of the State and covering a period of six years, it is concluded: 1. That acid phosphate at the rate of 200 to 300 pounds per acre produced a profitable increase in peanuts grown on sandy and other soils that are well adapted to this crop; 2. That potash applied in the form of kainit at the rate of 100 and 200 pounds per acre did not always prove profitable, except in a few experiments located on infertile sandy soil; 3. That slaked lime at the rate of 600 pounds per acre made a profitable increase in yield when applied on sandy soil; 4. That cottonseed meal as a source of nitrogen did not give profitable increas'es in yield, and is, therefore, not to be generally recommended for this leguminous crop. The average yield of peanut straw (vines after removal of peanuts) from four experiments varied from 2316 pounds of North Carolina Runner, to 1234 pounds of Virginia Bunch per acre. The average percent of dried unhulled peanuts to the weight of the whole plant ranged from 32 percent in North Carolina Runner, to 39 percent in Red Spanish. INTRODUCTION. The peanut industry is growing rapidly in Alabama. This rapid growth is coming as a result of the crop diversification campaigns, the change from the one crop system of cotton due to the invasion of the Mexican cotton boll weevil, and the growing demand for peanut oil and cake for stock feed and fertilizer. In soil and climate Alabama is well adapted to peanuts. Its cottonseed oil mills are being converted into peanut mills to manufacture oil and cake. The farmer has most of the implements on hand needed for the planting and culture of this crop. The additional ,equipment most needed is a custom picker for each community that grows any considerable amount ofpeanuts. VARIETY TESTS OF PEANUTS. Table I shows that the yields ofa variety differ widely in different years and in different localities. This variation may be due to seasonal differences, time of planting, character of soil, fertilizer or cultivation. Some of the experiments were made on the Experiment Farm at Auburn. Most of them were made on farms scattered throughout the State. These latter tests constituted part of the work conducted under the provisions of the Local Experiment Law. Each experimnent made away from Auburn was planned and supervised by a Station representative. The soil, fertilizer .and cultural treatment for each variety in any particular experiment was the same. The same strains of seed peanuts were supplied to every experimenter making variety experiments in a given year. The experimenter or a representative of the Station harvested plots of uniform size and reported the weight of the nuts after they had been thoroughly dried. The time of the planting of the different experiments ranged from April 26 to June 27. It may be of interest to note that the largest yields came from plantings -made between May 1 and June 15. In all cases, the experiments were located on some type of sandy soil, ranging from sandy loam, with clay ;subsoil, to fine sand. A complete commercial fertilizer -was used under nearly all the experiments. TABLE I. Yield of Varieties of Peanuts in Different Localities and Years; in Pounds of 'Unhulled and Hulled Nuts Per Acre. - V. ,*4^bri D I i- ~ a Virginia Bunch Red Spanish Unhulled5~ Meats - 5UnhulledSMeats {Meats_. - Lbs. 591 3.43 White Spanish {UnhulledSUnhull-edMeats 4Unhulled S eats M 1084 726, 532 Tennessee Red Valencia 867 _ - --- 5Unhulled umo-=--N. C. Runner (or Grey African) Virginia Runner or Large Red Jumbo (Running) McGovern _____ __ {Unhulled {Meats SMeats __-_ S Unhulled MeatsUnhulled )Meats _S~ Unhulled ?Meats 563 355t 121 591 242 946 1185 1008 691 1241 1126** 1152 931 Lbs. Lbs. Lbs. Lbs. 1174 1126 2310 388 1190 137 1066. 1344 2080 2080 588 1527 386 1422 1056 960 1588 2310 512 1760 354 780 1500 1500 486 903 185 1363 1008 544 1850 2208 336 1530 206 1303* 1536 1024 Lbs. Lbs. Lbs. 1225 1146 832 913 707 994 556 651 410 1664 1271 1808 1412 1520 1026 1536 1061 784 784 980 1421 Lbs. Lbs. Lbs. 1519 573 512 816 1767 623 1352 378 1088 734 843 531 598 1072 1272 651 642 683 1008 1219 647 740 Lbs. 1190 561 1244 960 1094 1052 645 1091 674 1143 948- 1680 --- CL- t Leaf spot reduced yield. 1750 1921 594 784 415 912 1164 1064 411 583 561 1226 1366 435 1451 608 1234 1087 10291 470 193 827 576 303. 732 1300 1584 448 1192 504 202 353 237 -_1372 610 448 1689 871 271 853 .140 - 421 - . _ _ _ Bought under name of "Bunch Jumbo." ** lBought under name of "Large Red." Table I shows the relative yield of dry, unhulled peanuts and meats or kernels per acre, but does not show their commercial value, The unhulled dry nuts of some of the varieties have 60 percent of hulls and pops, while others like the White Spanish, have only 25 percent. The true value of an acre is found only by multiplying the number of pounds of peanuts made on an acre by the percent of meats or kernels of that particular variety. Particular attention is called to the figures in the last column of Table II, which shows the average percentage of meats obtained in experiments extending through three years. RELATIVE YIELDS OF VARIETIES. The preceding table (Page 6), taken as a whole, conveys but little meaning, yet when dissected, as below, the results throw considerable light on the relative yields of varieties as measured in the weight of dried and unhulled nuts. For comparison, the yield of unhulled nuts of Red Spanish is taken as a basis, and hence this yield is rated at 100 percent. Then each variety is compared with the Red Spanish, but only in those years in which the compared variety and' the Red Spanish were both tested along side. The results are given below: In 7 out of 12 experiments Red Spanish proved superior in yield to White Spanish. Pounds Relative per Acre Yield White Spanish .-1094 88 Red Spanish -------------------- 1244 100 In 7 out of 12 tests Valencia was exceeded by Spanish: Valencia ----------------------- 1137 91 Red Spanish ---------------- 1244 100 In 8 out of 10 experiments North Carolina Running was equalled, or exceeded in yield of unhulled nuts by Red Spanish: North Carolina Runner ----------1068 84 Red Spanish -------------------1268 100 In 6 out of 10 tests Virginia Runner was surpassed in yield of unhulled nuts by Red Spanish: Virginia Runner _-----------------1087 85 Red Spanish--------------------1275 100 The comparison is still more unfavorable to Virginia Runner on the basis of pounds of meats per acre,.. "Red since in a number of the tests this variety had a large proportion of pops. The four localities in which Virvinia Runner exceeded Red Spanish in yield of unhulled nuts were Pinckard, Dale County; Honoraville, Butler County; Jasper, Walker County; and Auburn, Lee County. In only one of the six tests (Pinckard) did Virginia Runner afford a larger weight of meats per acre. In 3 out of 5 tests McGovern was exceeded in yield of unhulled nuts by Red Spanish, and in every year in which the meats were separated Red Spanish afforded a larger weight of meats per acre: McGovern-----------------------871 87 Red Spanish _--------1005 100 In 6 out of 9 experiments Tennessee Red was surpassed by Red Spanish on the basis of unhulled nuts: Tennessee Red------------------1079 86 Red Spanish -------------------1252 100 In all experiments, except one, the yield of meats from Red Spanish was greater than the yield from Tennessee Red. In 4 out of 6 tests Virginia Bunch was exceeded in yield of unhulled nuts by Red Spanish: Virginia Bunch -----------------1193 86 -Red Spanish -------------------1397 100 In every case where the meats were separated Red Spanish afforded a larger yield of meats per acre than did Virginia Bunch. SOUND KERNELS (MEATS) IN UNHULLED DRY PEANUTS. Table II shows the percent of sound kernels or meats for each variety as grown in different tests in various parts of the State. A given amount of dried peanuts without selection was taken from each variety and carefully weighed and hand shelled.- The sound kernels were weighed and the percentage of kernels or :meats calculated.. II .\ II -~'~--~ I 1 I~ig I. ,S,) ( (.; 'I a I i n i, 1 i, . i , o I Ii l I i uId I)1.1111 the( (hisltrifl I Ili( IIIIIuLs A li il(- l'w(1 1 \ I1 II r f^ ~,, It'a 9~/k~ A p~, I'lalc.ti II anal III "hom I~ VV ~, cighl Tllc figure, arc rcduccd h) A comill n variclic', uil lull, ,irc. )I 1w;1 nul". ji'.\j V II A 9 l i'i. I \i I: ' ! , . f,' ' ' 1Ass T~f " 2 1 nc n lhui rif iil;i lin' Hg unls Ii HI v of pca nn I. Iin I iii c i. A si I ilc tufect ii jk( nminIi t fi hll I mwt iiru iiii flt ninu i i 9 TABLE II. Per Cent of Sound Kernels (Meats) in Unhulled Dry Peanuts. Location of Each Experiment -4-4 VARIETY k 0 0 0 ° % % 5% % % % % Virginia Runner 75.0 49.9 57.0 44.4 34.4 59.3 53.3 Tennessee Red 65.0 60.7 55.9 67.5 38.1 60.2 50.5 56.9 N. C. Runner 71.2 73.0 63.9 68.4 21.4 48.2 57.7 Virginia Bunch 58.0 47.5 35.4 51.5 37.7 46.0 McGovern 60.5 59.0 50.5 56.6 Valencia ------ 154.0 34.0 64.2 63.0 69.1 61.3 69.3 60.7 59.5 Red Spanish White Spanish Jumbo_- - - _68.8 67.0 76.4 72.6 76.4 65.6 73.4 76.5 72.1 41.01 77.5 77.4 78.1 69.1 76.2 72.4 75.1 45.1 31.8 39.3 In the column of averages, it is noticed that the percentages of meats of the different varieties range from 75.1 percent in the White Spanish to 39.3 percent in the Jumbo. On this basis, a ton of unhulled Jumbo peanuts yields 786 pounds of meats, while a like amount of White Spanish affords 1502 pounds. The amount of waste in the form of hulls, pops and immature peas varies widely in the different varieties. The commercial value of peanuts is based largely on the amount of meats yielded by a ton of unhulled nuts. Hence oil mills can afford to pay a higher price for varieties having a high percentage of meats (as the Red Spanish and White Spanish) than for most of the running varieties. The percentage of meats of a variety varies with season and soil. For example, in 1911, at Pinckard, Dale County, Virginia Runner shelled out 75 percent of meats; at Cullman, Cullman County, in 1915, it gave only 34.4 percent meats, showing the effect of seasons, soil, locality and other factors. In the same year, the percentage of sound meats of a variety differs when grown in different parts of the State. Tennessee Red was grown in 1916 in Russell, Walker, Cullman and Lee Counties, and showed a va- 10 riation from 67.5 percent of meats in Cullman to 50.5 percent in Lee. By grouping the tests into northern and southern divisions and taking averages, the following results are obtained: TABLE III. Average Percentage of Sound Nuts (Meats) in Unhulled Peanuts Grown in South Alabama and inNorth Alabama. South: Greenville Honoraville No. North: Cullman No. Pinckard tests Scale Auburn Jasper Cullman Percent. 45.7 61.5 59.0 tests Percent. Virginia Runner Tennessee Red N. C. RunnerVirginia Bunch ________ 57.2 53.7 64.9 55.5 1 4 5 2 2 3 1 Valencia ___________--Red Spanish _____________ White Spanish ----------Jumbo - 54.8 70.8 73.0 43.5 5 5 3 2 67.1 74.1 77.2 3 3 3 It is noticed that some varieties yield a higher percentage of meats in one section of the State than they do in another section. This difference may be due in part to the longer time required by some varieties to grow and mature. The running varieties, like North Carolina and Tennessee Red, which are late, have in these experiments averaged a larger percent of meats when grown in the southern than in the northern section, while the Spanish varieties, which are early, and also the Valencia, have in these tests shelled' out a larger percent of sound peas in the northern than in the southern section. DESCRIPTION OF VARIETIES OF PEANUTS. The many different names used both for distinct varieties and for those whose characters do not mark them as distinct are confusing. It is unfortunate that some seedsmen and farmers, zealous to sell seed, should attach new names to old varieties, and thereby confuse and mislead the buyer. There is no objection to a grower attaching some distinguishing mark to a greatly improved strain or to a distinctly new variety, but it should be shown that he has improved the old variety or found a distinctly new one. If the originator would tell the true source of his improved strain or 11 the origin of his new variety, this knowledge would help the farmer to appreciate more fully the characters. for which the new strain or variety is notable. A name should distinguish the variety from other varieties. The great number of variety names, without distinguishing characters, is a source of much confusion. The common varieties of peanuts may be divided into two great classes; those having an upright, bunchy habit of growth, and those having a low spreading or "running" habit. Among the common varieties of the first group are the White Spanish, Red Spanish, Valencia, Virginia Bunch and Tennessee Red. Those having the spreading habit are North Carolina, sometimes called African, Virginia Runner and McGovern. In this division may also be included one of the varieties called Jumbo, which name is listed by some seedsmen as a bunch and by others as a runner. White Spanish.-This variety has an erect habit of growth, is about 10 to 14 inches high when grown on average soil, is early, and grows an abundance of foliage. Its pods grow in a cluster about the base of the stems and adhere well to the vines when they are harvested. The pods are small and require about 461 unshelled from light pink to cream. The unhulled nuts yield 75.1 percent of meats. The average amount of oil contained in a ton (but not all capable of being extracted) is 702 pounds, which is more than the amount of oil found in a ton of any other variety. The pods of both Spanish varieties are assumed to weigh 30 pounds per bushel, though 28 pounds are sometimes sold as a bushel. This is probably the most productive variety. Red Spanish.-This variety in habit of growth is. very much like the White Spanish. Its pods are larger, 390 weighing a pound. It shells out about 72 percent of light, red nuts. The amount of oil per ton is 693 pounds, which is the second largest amount obtained. Valencia.-This variety, sometimes called Improved Valencia, is erect in habit and grows from 12 to 24 inches high. Its pods grow close to its roots and cling poorly to the vines when they are pulled up. The pods are medium in diameter and are long, with two, three or four peas crowded closely together. peanuts to weigh a pound. The peas vary in color 12 About 266 pods weigh a pound. The peas are red and small, and form about 60 percent of the weight of the pods. In unshelled perfect pods the percentage of oil was 28.6, or 572 pounds per ton. A bushel weighs about :24 pounds. Virginia Bunch.-This is a semi-erect variety. Its pods cluster about the base of the stems; they are bright, nearly smooth, and require about 283 to weigh a pound. They contain one, two and sometimes three pale or pinkish peas. The percentage of meats found in the unshelled pods was 46, and of oil 21.2. The total oil contained per ton of unshelled peanuts was only 424 pounds. The usual weight per bushel is 22 pounds. Tennessee Red.-This variety resembles the Spanish varieties in type of plant. It is medium early, and its pods cling to the stems when they are pulled up. The pods have two or three peas, and about 246 unshelled peanuts are required to weigh a pound. It shells out 56 percent of meats. The peas are red. The percentage of oil in the unshelled pods is 23.6, or 527 pounds per ton. A bushel is usually assumed to weigh 22 pounds. North Carolina. This variety, sometimes called African or Wilmington, has a low spreading habit of growth. The variety called McGovern or Florida seems to be nearly the same as this, with probably this difference, that the McGovern seems to have more resistance to rotting of the nuts and to leaf spot. The stems of McGovern are long, slender and spreading. The pods of the North Carolina are small, and do not cling well to the stems when the vines are pulled up. A pod usually has two small reddish peas. This variety is late. It required about 440 pods to weigh a pound, and yielded about 66 percent meats. The percentage of oil found was 26.2 percent, or 524 pounds in a ton of unshelled pods. A bushel is assumed to weigh 22 pounds. Virginia Runner.-This variety is sometimes called Virginia Improved. It resembles, in habit of growth, the -North Carolina or African variety, except that its pods are considerably larger. Its pods and peas, in size and color, closely resemble those of the Virginia Bunch variety; 279 pods weighed a pound, and yielded 53.1 percent of meats. This variety yields 24.6 percent of oil, or 493 pounds per ton. 13 Jumbo.-Under this name, seedsmen have listed a running Jumbo and a bunch Jumbo. The two resemble each other in every respect, except in habit of growth of vines. In habit of growth and size of pods these two forms closely resemble the Virginia Bunch and Virginia Runner. Of the Jumbo samples studied, 276 of the pods weighed a pound, and yielded only 41 percent of meats. It seems that the name Jumbo has been applied to large nuts, and does not represent a distinct variety. A Jumbo may be a Virginia Bunch or a Virginia Runner, or even a Tennessee Bunch. The varieties grown under the name of Jumbo averaged lowest in oil, 17.7 per cent, or 354 pounds of oil in a ton of unshelled peanuts. SIZE OF PEANUTS AND NUMBER OF PEAS PER POD. Table IV shows the average number of unhulled peanuts and of sound peas required to weigh one pound; percentages by weight of sound peas in unhulled pods; and number of sound peas per pod, together with the maximum and minimum numbers. The averages are based on from 3 to 9 experiments made in 4 different years. The maximum and minimum numbers indicate that within each variety there is an extremely wide range in the size of nuts, number of peas per pod, and percentage of peas. These fluctuations are due apparently to variations in seasons, soils, etc. These figures are put on record as a part of the description of each variety. TABLE IV. Number of Peanuts Required to Make One Pound; Average Number Sound Nuts Per Pod; and Percent Sound Nuts Per Pod. V No. Unshelled Nuts per Lb. AV. MAX. MIN VARIETY Tenseee_ Number Sound Nuts per Lb. AV. MAX. MIN. A'v. No Sound Nuts per Pod AV. MAX. MIN. Per cent Sound NutsPer Pod AV. MAX. MIN. TennesseeRed N. C. Runner_ Virginia Bunch McGovern--.. Valencia -..... Red Spanish --White Spanish __ Virginia Runner Jumbo -__5 9 9 6 3 10 9 8 7 246 489 440 498 283 502 351 399 266 409 390 573 461 689 279 425 276 423 186 781 984 349 943 1080 196 539 647 315 871 964 211 854 943 212 984 1132 400 1105 1461 183 612 888 224 559 666 730 854 526 809 676 888 984 482 477 1.88 1.34 0.90 1.41 2.06 1.61 1.76 1.12 0.96 2.41 1.87 1.37 1.57 2.90 1.93 1.91 1.66 1.68 0.60 0.50) 0.45 1.20 0.65 1.09 1.48 0.62 0.67 56.9 57.7 46.0 56.6 59.5 72.1 75.1 53.3 39.3 67.5 73.0 58.0 60.0 69.3 76.5 78.1 75.0 45.1 38.1 21.4 35.4 50.5 34.0 65.4 69.1 34.4 31.8 14 single nuts and peas of different varieties, and in the number of peas per pod. Virginia Bunch yielded on .an average in 6 tests only 46 percent of sound peas, which indicates the tendency of running varieties to produce pops when soil conditions are unfavorable. The White Spanish yielded 75.1 percent by weight of :sound peas. This difference in yield is an important factor in determining the price that oil mills can afford to pay for nuts to crush. The heaviest unhulled nuts are found in the Tennessee Red variety (246 pods to the pound). The lightest unhulled nuts are in the White Spanish (461 pods to the pound), which are considerably smaller than those of the Red Spanish. Virginia Bunch, closely followed by Jumbo and Virginia Runner, produce the heaviest shelled peas--if we take no account of the pops, or defective peas. RELATIVE VALUE OF VARIETIES FOR PRODUCTION OF OIL. This table shows great differences in weight of The Analyses of Nine Varieties of Peanuts Grown in Different Parts of Alabama. In Table V the analyses * Hof one sample of each va- riety for different years are shown in columns 1 and 2. The chemical analyses are based on composite samples of shelled huts of each variety, made up of nuts grown that year in several different localities. 15 TABLE V. Percentage of Oil in Shelled Nuts and Pounds of Oil Per Ton of Unshelled Nuts for Different Varieties. Oil in Shelled Nuts o~ oo o Virinia Tennessee N. C. Runner Runner 143.684893 463013.30 _ 45.7047.06 46.385.9 4___408'0.865.34.9577 Red 2.3 62 5 2 Mc Govern47 4 Valencia-Runner-_47.42 48.78 48.10 59.0 Red Spanish- -- -- -- 48.60147.57 48.08 72.10 White Spanish Jumbo - 24.67 ~493 I 7 693 702 48.52145.;03 46.7171 45.15 5.5 48.4 34.66 2 1 The table shows that the percent of oil' is higher in the 1916 samples than in the 1915 samples except for two varieties. The- figures show a- variation in average oil constent of the different varieties from 48.47 Mcavern 48.47n 56.6 39.30 75.10 17.74{ 27.4 35.12 354) 9 548 4en percent in the meats of the McGovern to in the shelled peas of the Jumbo. The meats of the. Red Spanish afforded 2.54 percent of oil more' than those of the White Spanish; .but the percentage of sound peas in the White Spanish was greater by 3 percent than in the Red Spanish. The amount of oil in a ton' of White Spanish was largest, 702 pounds; next came Red Spanish, with 693 pounds. The column containing .the pounds of, oil in one ton of unshelled nuts shows that some varieties are more valuable for oil pur~poses than varieties. 45.15 percent 'the A- ton of Jumbo contained 354 pounds of oil, while a ton of White Spanish contained 702 pounds, a difference of 348 pounds in favor of this Spanish variety. The oil mills cannot afford to overlook this difference, nor can the growers who expect to sell the' peanuts for oil production. A variety like North Carolina .Runncr, which some farmers think especially 'productive, other' much 16 yields, under the conditions of these experiments, 273 pounds of oil less per ton of unhulled nuts than the average of the two Spanish varieties. The oil in the peanut hulls is not included in the above table. U. S. Department of Agriculture Farmers' Bulletin No. 751, page 9, shows that the oil in the peanut hulls of different varieties varies from .73 percent in the Virginia Runner, to 3.53 percent in the Virginia Bunch. The analyses of hulls * at Auburn shows 1.2 percent oil, 5.38 percent protein, 3.97 percent ash, 65.6 percent crude fiber, and 15.6 percent carbohydrates. Based on the average percent of oil and of sound peas in the above table, the varieties of unshelled peanuts take the following rank in pounds of oil per ton: White Spanish ---------------702 Red Spanish -----------------693 Valencia -______572 McGovern 548 Tennessee Red ---------------527 North Carolina Runner _524 Virginia Runner--------------493 Jumbo-------------------- 354 OIL PRODUCTION AND YIELD AS REPORTED BY THE OIL MILLS. From a questionnaire that was sent to a number of Alabama oil mills known to be crushing peanuts, the following facts were learned. These manufacturers are using the Anderson Expeller type of mill, which has a capacity ranging from 400 to 600 gallons of oil per day of 24 hours. The operators of these mills report that this machinery extracts from 92 to 95 percent of the oil contained in the peanuts. They report from a ton of peanuts of the Spanish varieties, from 600 to 700 pounds of oil and from 1200 to 1300 pounds of peanut cake or meal. A ready sale for all peanut products is reported by the mills. Some mills report that the color of the shelled peas is a matter of no importance. Others express a preference for "white" peanuts. All mills except the one at Brundidge prefer the White Spanish variety. The Brundidge mill prefers the North Carolina Runner, stating that its yield is higher than the yield of Spanish. The yield of peanuts in the locality of the mills in 1916 was estimated by the mills at 850 pounds of nuts per * Made in the Chemical Laboratory of the Alabama Experiminent Station. 17 acre, and the average price for the past season was placed at about 3 cents per pound. PREPARATION AND PLANTING. Peanuts are grown on a wide range of soils, but those best adapted are sandy or loamy. Soils having consi.derable clay and lime produce good crops. A hard compact soil is poorly adapted because the pod stems called "needles" or "pegs" do not penetrate its surface,. nor is poorly drained and sour land well suited. The mechanical condition of the soil is important. A liberal amount of humus, 'and lime and available plant food is essential to securing the largest yields. Land intended for peanuts and not occupied by a winter crop should be plowed in the early spring. In case it is so occupied, the soil should be plowed as soon as the spring crop is removed. Where there is considerable trash on the surface from some preceding crop, this trash should be plowed under before planting in time for it to rot or at least to permit the soil to settle. About the same treatment given to land to prepare it for cotton, is sufficient to prepare it for peanuts. The importance of planting peanuts after a clean cultivated crop should not be overlooked. If the preceding crop had an abundance of grass and weeds it will be difficult to keep the peanut crop clean. It is not good practice to plant peanuts after peanuts. Some regular system of rotation of crops should be followed. Planting a row of peanuts in the middles of corn rows, as practiced in southeast Alabama, has the advantage of making a peanut crop with little expense except the cost of the seed and the planting. The peanuts are cultivated at the same time the corn is cultivated. This is a satisfactory practice where the peanuts are gathered by hogs (except that it increases the amount of fencing); but when they are gathered for commercial purposes, the corn plants hinder the harvesting. The peanuts are not planted on high beds because such beds dry out quickly, which condition tends to make a poor stand. For the bunch variety, the rows may be made from 21/ to 3 feet wide, that is just wide enough to permit easy cultivation with ordinary cultivating implements. For the running variety, the rows should be from 3 to 31/ feet wide. 18 The seed of the bunch varieties may be dropped from 4 to 8 inches apart in the drill. The running type may be dropped from 12 to 15 inches apart in the drill. The seeding should be so thick that the vines will nearly cover the ground when they are fully grown. Planting should not begin until the middle of the usual period for planting cotton, and for the Spanish or early maturing varieties it may continue until the first of June, or even until the middle of June. The soil should be thoroughly warm. AMOUNT OF SEED. The following table shows the number of pounds of both shelled and unshelled peanuts of several of the leading varieties required to plant an acre at the various distances mentioned. TABLE VI. Pounds of Peanuts (from Table IV) Required to Plant an Acre at Stated Distances. Variety Distance Distance Shelled Unshelle Between Rows Between Plants 1 Inches Feet 6 8 10 Peas Lbs. 31.5 23.6 18.9 Peanuts Lbs. 41.9 31.4 25.1 White Spanish _____21/2 2/2 2/2 3 3 Red Spanish 3 1 I 10 6 8 6 8 26.3 19.6 15.8 . 21.0 35.0 26.3 49.1 36.8 29.4 2/ 21/2 21/2 35.4 26.6 21.2 10 3 3 3 N. C. Runnner -. 3 3 3 3 32 10 10 12 16 10 12 16 6 8 29.5 22.1 17.7 40.9 30.7 24.5 32.1 26.8 20.1 27.6 23.0 31/2, 18.5 15.4 11.5 15.9 13.3 9.9 17.3 The above figures are based on the planting of only one shelled nut in a place or "hill," and on the assumpfion that all of the nuts are sound. Those who prefer to drop more than one seed in a hill should increase the figures accordingly. From the above, and after allowing for faulty nuts and occasional placing of two nuts in a hill, we may conclude that about the following amounts of seed should be provided per acre: 19 For Spanish varieties, rather close planting (6 x 30 in.) 7 For Spanish varieties, thin planting (10 x 36 in.) .--4 For North Carolina or similar running kinds, thick planting (10 x 36 in.) ---------------------------- 7 For North Carolina or similar running varieties, rather thin planting (12 x 42 in.) 5 pks. pks. pks. pks. A special peanut planter, or an ordinary Cole planter and doubtless other types of one-horse planters may be used for planting shelled peanuts. The seed should be covered from 11/4 to 2 inches deep. The varieties of peanuts that have large pods should be shelled in order to secure a good stand. Such varieties as the White and Red Spanish may be planted without shelling the nuts. However, shelling of any variety insures more prompt germination and a better stand. CULTIVATION. It is well to harrow the rows to destroy the young weeds and grass before the peanuts come up. One cultivation or more with a weeder or light spike-tooth harrow should be given before the plants get much growth. Following this time, the ordinary implements used for the cultivation of cotton may be employed. The cultivation may continue close up to the plant, until the fruit stems begin to form, after which time the cultivating implements should not run close to the row. The covering of the blooms with dirt is unnecessary. HARVESTING. A farmer should judge when is the proper time to harvest the peanuts. The tops of the vines usually turn yellow and some of the leaves begin to drop off when the peanuts are ripe. If the harvesting is delayed the early maturing nuts of the Spanish varieties may sprout in the ground. The harvesting may be done by hand or plow. Varieties whose pods cling well may be pulled up from very sandy land by hand. This is a slow method. An ordinary turning plow with its mold board removed to avoid covering the plants may be employed to raise the plants. The bunches may be collected in piles with an ordinary hay fork. CURING AND PICKING. The plants are usually left on the ground, after harvesting, for at least two or three hours. They should then be stacked. This is done by firmly setting up 20 stakes about 6 feet high, at the bottom of which are nailed two or three cross pieces 3 or 4 feet'long. A6tound this stake the plants are stacked with thd vines exposed, and the nuts inward. Ventilation is thus secured for the peanuts within, while they are protected from the weather by- the vines. From 15 to 20 such stacks will be necessary for one acre. The stacks should be capped with grass and remain 3 or 4 weeks in the field until the pods have become dry. They are then ready for a picker. Some of the Florida growers have made use of a curing shed. On the posts are spiked cross timbers and on these timbers horizontal poles are placed sufficiently close to support the green peanut vines. From one floor of poles to the next is kept a vertical distance of about 5 or 6 feet. This space allows complete ventilation and the peanuts remain spread upon the poles until they become thoroughly dried. This method of curing secures .a better quality of hay and bright pods. The picking of the peanuts off the stems by, hand is slow and expensive. In a community where a large acreage is planted a custom picker may be operated profitably. There are several types Which are now offered on the market. One type depends for the removing of the nuts from the vines on the use of a system of Vibrating wire screens, and is used exclusively for peanut'picking. The other type of picker is an ordinary grain thresher with a special cylinder and concave for peanuts. This last machine readily removes the nuts and makes them ready for oil mill purposes, but according to the statement of the president of one of the peanut oil mills in Alabama, the peanut thresher breaks up the pods and injures the nuts for planting purposes. PEANUT HAY AND STRAW. Peanut vines make a fine quality of hay if cut before the leaves drop. Their chemical composition is nearly that of alfalfa hay. Valencia, Virginia Bunch, and the Spanish varieties are the best suited for hay making on account of their upright habit of growth, which makes them easy to mow. Peanut straw (the cured peanut plant after the filled pods have been picked off) has a larger proportion of woody stems and a smaller proportion of leaves than peanut hay, which render the former somewhat less nutritious than peanutit hay. 21 TABLE VII. Yields and Percentages of Dried Peanut Straw (Vines After Removal of Nuts.) VARIETY ' : - ¢ _________ i ~-,F -,- Red White Spanish Spanish 1332 _2005 2250 2750 1558 1434 2309 1303 1862 1873 61 62 39 38 Tennessee Red Virginia Bunch Virginia Runner North Carolina ---_-_ 2431 3000 877 2109 2104 62 38 1253 2200 3000 3350 1482 1620 1914 2717 2392 1234 1834 2316 62 67 68 38 33 32 _1610 Peanut straw as a rule is not as bright as peanut hay. The plants are exposed to sunshine and dews during the curing. Table VII shows that the average yield of peanut straw per acre ranges from 1234 pounds to 2316 pounds per acre. The running varieties yield a higher percentage of straw than the bunch type. On ordinary soil, from three-fourths to one ton of straw per acre is considered a fair yield. CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF PEANUT STRAW. The chemical composition of peanut straw, as reported by the Chemical Department of this Station, is as follows: Water, 10.72 percent; ash, 6.03 percent; crude protein, 10.69 percent; crude fat, 1.66 percent; crude fiber, 29.5 percent; carbohydrates, 41.39 percent. Its composition shows that it carries 1.2 percent potash, and 0.50 percent phosphoric acid. RESIDUAL FERTILIZING EFFECT OF PEANUTS. This table records the result of a test made to show the fertilizing effect of peanuts on following crops. As indicated in the table, peanuts were harvested in different ways, and the succeeding yields of rye and sorghum hay are compared with the hay yields from a plot on which corn had been grown. 22 TABLE VIII. Residual Fertilizing Effect of Peanuts Compared With Corn. (*) 1 Crop-Summer of 1899 Spanish peanuts-nuts harvested Spanish peanuts-grazed by hogs Running peanuts-turned under - Succeeding Crops Sorghum Rye Winter of Summer of 189941900 1900 Lbs. per Acre Lbs. Per Acre 1080 4480 4280 2582 4000 6320 Corn-ears pulled - 1080 5040 The peanut plots gave a yield of rye higher than that of the non-legume plot in two instances; where the peanuts were grazed and the plot got the benefit of the droppings from animals, and where the luxuriant growth of vines were turned under on account of the running peanuts failing to make. Two of the peanut plots yielded less sorghum hay than did the corn plot, and only on the plot on which the vines were turned under did the yield of this second succeeding crop prove greater than that following corn. The conclusion is that a crop of peanuts harvested in the usual way for seed does not improve the soil for a succeeding crop. INOCULATION OF PEANUTS. The peanut is a legume, roots of which should be abundantly supplied with tubercles to make sure that it makes use of the nitrogen of the air rather than that of the soil. So far as the observations of the writers go, the peanut plant on Southern soils is naturally stocked with tubercles. Hence artificial inoculation, either with soil or with pure cultures, seems to be a useless expense. Probably the usual occurence of tubercles on the roots of the peanut plant results from natural inoculation carried on the seed in the dust from the old field. This dust from the hulls comes in contact with the shelled nuts in any process of shelling, and is of course still more abundant if unshelled nuts are planted. Experiments made on sandy land on the farm of the Alabama Experiment Station, at Auburn, showed no, increase in yield from inoculating peanuts with appropriate soil, and no apparent increase in the number of tubercles per plant. (*) Bul. 104, Alabama Experiment Station... 23 DISEASES OF PEANUTS. Leaf spot, which appears as a small, brown spot on the leaves and stems (See spots on leaves of White Spanish variety, P1. I, Fig. 2), is caused by a fungus disease (Cercospora personata). It usually attacks the grown leaves, though it may attack the young ones causing them to fall off, thereby reducing the value of the hay and the yield of peanuts. This leaf spot fungus may be carried from one year to the next on old peanut leaves and stems. Crop rotation and plowing under all old vines and stems are, therefore, recommended as good farm practice to lessen the amount of the disease in a succeeding peanut crop. Sclerotial rot, (caused by Sclerotiuim Rolfsii) attacks the roots and peas, and destroys the pods. The top of the plant may be healthy in appearance, but when it is pulled up, many of its pods may be found completely rotten. The rotten pods may appear wet or dry, as other organisms of decay may have become associated with the decayed nuts. No means of combatting sclerotial rot is known. Red rot attacks the pods of the peanut and causes them to appear brown or reddish. The crop should be dug as soon as it matures to avoid loss from this disease. (See Alabama Station Bulletin No. 180). AVERAGE YIELD OF PEANUTS. According to figures furnished by the Bureau of Crop Estimates of the United States Department .of Agriculture, the average yield of peanuts for the United States for the past five years has been 38.6 bushels per acre. For the same period, the Southern States averaged as follows: State Bushels Slate Bushels North Carolina South Carolina ----------Georgia ----------------Florida -----------------Tennessee --------------- -------- 42 45 40 36 48 Alabama ---------------37 Louisiana --------------- 32 Mississippi _-----34 Texas ------------------- 33 Oklahoma 38 ---------------------- As a rule, the yield is very nearly in proportion to the thickness of the stand. Especially is this true with the Spanish varieties. The largest yield on record is one made on the farm of Dr. J. F. Yarbrough, at Columbia, Alabama. - The yield, as reported by Dr. Yarbrough, on the basis of 24 pounds of Spanish peanuts 24 per bushel, was 2141/2 bushels on an acre. On the basis of 28 pounds per bushel the yield was 183.9 bushels. These peanuts were planted in rows 17 inches .apart. The nuts were very carefully placed 4 inches apart in the drill. Cultivation was chiefly with a weeder, and by hand. The soil was a deep, loose sand, fertilized per acre as follows: 1,000 pounds ground limestone. 1,600 pounds 16 percent acid phosphate. 1,600 pounds kainit. FERTILIZER EXPERIMENTS WITH PEANUTS. The experiments reported in these pages were made by selected farmers in several counties. The land was selected and plots measured by a representative of the Experiment Station, who was also present at the harvesting of as many of the experiments as practicable. The fertilizer for each plot was separately weighed out, sacked and fully labeled at Auburn. In interpreting these experiments the reader should bear in mind that it is more difficult to make accurate ,experiments with peanuts than with cotton or corn, :since poor stands of peanuts are common. Hence some of the experiments made are only :briefly tabulated as inconclusive or not published at all. The rule has been to wait one to two weeks after the nuts are dug before taking the weight of dry peanuts, on which the tables in this bulletin are based. The unshelled nuts were valued at 4 cents per pound and fertilizers at prices prevailing just before the European War. HOUSTON COUNTY, 2 MILES SOUTH OF DOTHAN. S. A. MULLINS, 1911. Gray sandy loam, with stiffer yellow subsoil. The land on which this experiment was made had been in cultivation many years. No leguminous crop had grown on it during the last three years. A mixture of acid phosphate and kainit (Plot 8) was the only one showing any profit. The addition of cottonseed meal to acid phosphate and kainit did not increase the yield. 25 Experiment in Houston County, 1911 Dothan N N4- KIND OF FERTILIZER 6 ~ 1 2 3 4 5 Lbs. Lbs. 200 C. S. Meal-------------------------704 200 Kainit_______------------------------864 No fertilizer----------_____----_-832 240 Acid phosphate---------------------768 200 C. S. Meal__--___ -__ C. S. phosphate cid Meal--------------20Kn832 Kan7? 7 No fertilizer---- --- -- --- ------------- 800 240 Acid phosphate896 " 20 Kainit=----------------200 C. S. Meal----------------200 240 200 K ain it -------------------.- Lbs. -128 -$8 12 32 -0.40 -56-3.64 6 864 48 24 ----- -2.76 -3.44 96 0.7 COVINGTON COUNTY, 1 MILE SOUTHEAST OF BEN J. BARNES, 1913. OPP. Gray sandy loam, with stiffer yellow subsoil. This experiment was made on poor, gray sandy upland which had been cleared of its long leaf pine for eight years. The same plots were also used for fertilizer experiments with peanuts at Opp in 1914. Similar soil on the same farm but on different plots 1913 the largest net profit, $28.32, above the cost of fertilizer, was afforded by Plot 4, fertilized as follows: 240 pounds acid phosphate per acre. 200 pounds kainit per acre. 600' pounds. slacked lime per acre. Most of this profit was due to lime, the separate effect of 600 pounds of which was. to increase the yield of dry nuts by 538 pounds per, acre.. This is a net profit of $18.52 per acre, after deducting the cost of 600 pounds. of slacked lime at $10.00 per ton. was employed for this test in 1915. In 26 Experiments in Covington County. Pp, 191 4. Opp, 1914 P .44 pp, 1915 KIND OF - LFERTILIZER4a a. I~b a a a 4 aLs-l N fetlie ,,_, v t00 _ ____ No N Sr+ N N51S 0 " c -, 0 a Lbs. Lbs. Lbs. Lbs. Lbs. Lbs. Lbs. 1 240 Acid phosphate 1075 322 $11.20 903 279$ 9.48 640 304$10.48 2 200 Kainit__________-860 107 288 774 150 4.60 512. 176 4.78 C.) 3 000 No fertilizer -__ 4_ 753 CZ 624 CZ _ -_____ 336____ __ 240 Acid phosphate 1613 4- __ 200 Kainit---______rtlier___ 600 Lime (slaked) -1 -5 3 1_ 860 28.32 1246 ___, __ ~Q0 627 N 19.00 896 560 15.46 2 00 Kainit______________________ 7 240 Acid phosphate 0Nfertilizer r- 18 753 40 124 602ut 336issili 5 Next to lime, acid phosphate was the most important fertilizer for peanuts on this soil in 1913; even when used alone at the rate of 240 pounds per acre it increased the yield by 322 pounds of dry peanuts, affording a profit of $11.20 per acre. The average increase due to 240 pounds acid phosphate per acre was 269 pounds of dry nuts per acre. Potash was also helpful, but to a less degree. The average increase due to 200 pounds of kainit per acre was 54 pounds of dry nuts per acre. 1914. The largest net profit, $19.00 per acre, was again on the plot fertilized with slacked lime,, acid phosphate and kainit. In this year lime was responsible for an increase of 208 pounds of dry nuts, which at 4 cents per pound, is a profit of $5.32 per acre, for the lime alone, in addition to a profit of $13.68 per acre due to the mixture of acid phosphate and kainit. Again acid phosphate was, next to lime, the most important fertilizer. This fertilizer used alone increas- 27 ed the yield of nuts by 279 pounds per acre, and its average increase was 274 pounds of dry nuts per acre. The average increase resulting from the use of 200 pounds of kainit per acre was 145 pounds of dry nuts. per acre. 1915. In 1915 the largest increase, 560 pounds of dry nuts, was again made by Plot 4, fertilized with acid phosphate, kainit and slacked lime. The profit on this plot this year was $15.46 per acre. Lime was separately responsible for 272 pounds of dry nuts per acre, or a profit of $7.88. This year acid phosphate afforded an average increase of 208 pounds of dry nuts per acre. The use of 200 pounds of kainit afforded an average increase of 80 pounds of dry nuts. Thus the results of each of the three years agree in showing that the most profitable investment was that in lime; the next most profitable was the investment in acid phosphate; while the 200 pounds of kainit in creased the yield to a less extent, but to a point that was profitable on the basis of prices for potash prevailing before--the European war. However, we should not expect such favorable results from lime, except when applied, as in all these experiments, in combination with the other fertilizers, notably acid phosphate. Separate Effect of Cotton Seed Meal, Acid Phosphate, Kainit and Slaked Lime in Increasing the Yield of Dry Nuts Per Acre at Opp, Covington County. 19131191411915 Ilbs. lbs. lbs. Increase of dry nuts per acre when cotton seed ------.------------meal was added 215 -16 80 To acid phosphate and kainit plot -------Increase of dry nuts per acre when acid phosphate was added: 322 279 304 To unfertilized plot---------....----------.----------------. 112 215 269 To kainit plot Increase of dry nuts per acre when kainit was added: 107 150 _176 To unfertilized plot --------. . -.---- 0 140 -16 To acid phosphate plot--__-80 .... 54 145 Average increase with kainit .Increase of dry nuts per acre when slacked lime was added:' 538 208 272 To acid phosphate and kainit plot Average increase with acid phosphate . 269 274 208 28 LEE COUNIY, 1 MILE SOUTHEAST.OF.AUBURN. W. M. DEAN, 1915. Gray sandy loam, with stifler yellow subsoil. This sandy upland had been cleared for several years. The largest increase in yield, 336 pounds of dry nuts per acre, was obtained on Plot 4, fertilized with acid phosphate, kainit and lime. This was closely followed by Plot 8, fertilized with 240 pounds of acid phosphate and 100 pounds of kainit, which afforded increase of 320 pounds of dry nuts, and a profit of $9.99 per acre. The separate increase due to lime is calculated as 208 pounds of dry nuts, a. profit of $5.37 per acre. Acid phosphate was the most important single fertilizer constituent, its average increase being 216 pounds of dry nuts per acre. Kainit in each of three combinations failed to effect any material increase in yield, and on every plot was unprofitable, whether used at the rate of 200 or 100 pounds per acre. Experiments in Lee and, Cullman Counties. an or Auburn, 1915 Pc N '=. Culiman, 1915 S .0 KIND OF FERTILIZER . z4.,Q ) 0 0 -r __;___ 0 y Q 0 Lbs. 1 2 Lbs. 304 000 200 Acid phosphate_.. 688 200 Kainit----------- 384 Lbs. $10.48. 1925 -2 26, 1888 -220 -257 $-10.48 -12.54 3 4 20Ai 000. No fertilizer------- 384------hsht_ 600 Kainit _----------_720 60Lime (slaked) -cdphsht.. 512 200 C. S. Meal_-_ 240 Acid phosphate_._ 672 200 Kainit- ----000 No fertilizer - __ 384 240 cid 2145 1906 1650 1283 190 1246 336 128 288 ...- 6.50 1.18 4 58 - -179 -376 -683 -14.10 -18.98 -34.26 ___.. . . 67 8 hosphate--} 704 320 9.99 '-666 -29.21 29 . CULLMAN COUNT , '1 MILES NORTH OF CULLMAN. / I. :O." Q. F. HOME, El). B. MILLER, SUPT., 1915. Yellotish gray fine sandy soil, with stiffer yellow subsoil. This upland soil had been in cultivation only six years, and, judging by the yield, apparently it was in a better state of fertility than other soils used in peanut fertilizer tests. On such land, and with a rainy season after the middle of July, 1915, all fertilizers were without favorable effect. Indeed they seemed to decrease the yield under these conditions. Separate Effect of Colton Seed Meal, Acid Phosphate, Kainit and Slaked Lime in Increasing the, Yield of Dry Nuts Per Acre at Auburn and Cullman. Auburn C.ullman 1915 I 1915 Increase of dry nuts per acre when cotton) Lbs. Lbs.seed meal was added: To acid phosphate and kainit plot .. 160 -307 Increase of dry nuts per acre when acid phosphate was added: To unfertilized plot __ ___-__ 304 -220 To kainit plot 128 -119 Average increase with acid phosphate 216 170 Increase of dry nuts per acre when kainit was added: To unfertilized plot _ ____0 -257 To acid phosphate plot -------------176 -156 Average increase with kainit --88 -207 Increase of dry nuts per acre when slacked lime was added: To acid phosphate and kainit plot --- 208 197 GENERAL SUGGESTIONS FOR FERTILIZING PEANUTS. 1. Acid phosphate (or other source of available phosphoric acid, as Basic Slag) seems advisable for peanuts grown on practically all sandy and other soils that are especially well adapted to peanuts. 2. The amount of acid phosphate should probably range between 200 and 300 pounds per acre. 3. While potash is shown by some of these experiments to be helpful to peanuts grown on certain poor sandy soils, it is of less importance than available phosphoric acid. Present high prices and scarcity make the use of potash at this time impracticable and unprofitable for peanuts. When prices decline sufficient- 30 ly, 100 pounds of kainit per acre would seem, from certain of these experiments, to offer more promise of profit than 200 pounds per acre. 4. While in some of these experiments cottonseed meal seems to have increased the yield of peanuts on very poor soil, yet, until such evidence is stronger, the writers would not advise any investment in any form of nitrogen as a fertilizer for peanuts. 5. Some form of lime is generally helpful to peanuts, and on acid soils is strongly needed. Slaked lime at the rate of 600 pounds per acre gave profitable results in most of these experiments. It is believed that the use of about 1,000 pounds or more of ground limestone would be the most satisfactory and economical form in which to apply lime. 6. No form of lime should come in immediate contact with acid phosphate. The phosphate may be drilled in at or before planting. The lime may be applied in any convenient way, preferably before planting, and well harrowed in or otherwise mixed with the surface soil. 31 APPENDIX. INCONCLUSIVE EXPERIMENTS. In Butler County, 8. miles north of Greenville, anexperiment conducted by E. A. Simmons in 1916 proved inconclusive, because of'a lack of uniformity in the :stand due to damage by moles. (See page 32). An experiment.conducted in 1916 in Cullman County, on the farm of the I. 0. 0. F. Home, proved inconclusive because of poor stand and lack of uniformity of the land. Eighteen other experiments were begun in.the counties named below, but for various-reasons-they were not carried to a conclusion, or else for various reasons the results are not available for publication. ,County Barur -Butler Pso ieYear Postoffice arbour -________----Clayton-------------------------1912 Bullock -------------Fitzpatrick--------------------1915 ------------- Greenville--1912 Butler Greenville-----------------------1913 Butler -- _-------- reenville-----------------------1914 G Butler -------------Greenville ------------------- 1915 -------------- ,Coffee -------------Enterprise Coffee-------------Enterprise--1915 ____---------.- 1914 Covington----------Opp-------------------Dale -------------- Pinckard--------------------1911 Elmore------------Tallassee--------------------1912 Escambia--------Atmore----------------------1915 ----------- Dothan----------------------1912 Houston ----------- Dothan ----------------------- 1913 Lee --------------Auburn ---------------------- 1916 Houston ~Monroe ----------- Monroeville---------------------1912 -Mobile------------_Irvington 'Pike-------------- Banks -------------------Separate ---------------------- 1914 -1916 Effect of Cotton Seed Meal, Acid Phosphate and Kainit in Increasing the Yield Acre at Dothan, Houston County, 1911. Increase of dry nuts per acre when cotton seed meal To unfertilized plot-------------128 of Nuts Per was added: lbs. lbs. lbs. 0 lbs. lbs. To- acid phosphate plot------------104 To.. kainit plot-----------------8 To acid phosphate and kainit plot-------------Average increase with cottton seed. meal------- -8 increase of dry nuts per acre when acid phosphate was added: 64 lbs. To unfertilized plot-------------------------- 56 lbs. To cotton seed meal plot---------------------176 lbs. To kainit plot------------------------------- To cotton seed meal and kainit plot------------- 72 lbs. Average increase with acid phosphate---------- 64 lbs. 32 Increase of dry nuts per acre when. kainit was To cotton seed meal Average Inconclusive To unfertilized plot---------------------------32 To acid phosphate plot----------------------- -plot-----------152 48 in added: lbs. lbs. 152 lbs. To cotton seed meal and acid phosphatte -plota increase with kainit-------------96 Experiments lhst lbs. and Culiman Butter Counties, 1916. Greenville, 1916 Cullinan, 1916 KIND OF . FERTILIZER 04-4~ a L. 1 4000 Ground 000ONo Lbs -168 .Lb.bs 2 fertilizer-- Limestone ------------------ ---- ------ -_70------_- 612 1040 192 -- 848 3 4 240 Acid phosphate----------1044 200 Kairnit--240 Acid ----- ---- 322 211 944 596 166 189 876 5 200 C. S. Meal-----------------------768 6 200 C. S. Meal--------------__ --- phosphate ------ 161 542 -29- 672 928 35 362* 224- _-__--_--- J 20 ainit------- ------------7 000 No fertilizer------------------------ 1092 492 --?444 496, 736 8 240 Acid 200 Kainit-----------------------=-200 C. S. Meal -- - - - - - - - - - -- ---- phosphate ------------------- 9- --_____(612 240 Acid phosphate-------------200 Kainit------------------------) 200 C. S. Meal-------------------- 158 576 48 10 11 240 Acid phosphate :----_----- 4000 Ground Limestone------------ 12 ) 4000 Ground Limestone 000 No fertilizer----_-------------------- 200 Kainit-_---------- ---------------- 660 245 544 -16 -- 396-----576