BULLETIN

OF

The Agricultural and Mechanical College
of Texas

(in cooperation with the United States Department of Agriculture)

JUNE, 1917 EXTENSION SERVICE No. B-4O

UVERCRUPPING WITH PEANUTS

TREATMENT 0F "BLUWING SOILS”

By G. M. Garren, Agronomist, Extension Service, A. and M. College
of Texas.

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Address
CLARENCE OUSLEY

Director of Extension Service, College Station, Texas.

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TREATMENT 0F “BLBWIIG SBILS”

By G. M. Garren, Agronomist, Extension Service, A. and M. College
of Texas.

The loose sandy soils of West Central Texas, commonly known as
“blow sands,” although they are not the worst type of blow sand, present

- cultural problems of peculiar difliculty. These soils are not confined en-

tirely to the semi-arid portions of the state, but are also found in many
parts of East Texas. Here, however, the difliculty of handling them is
not nearly so great on acount of the greater rainfall and the lower
velocity of the Winds. Further, this problem is not entirely a Texas prob-
lem, but a problem of more or less importance in all the Southwestern
states, especiall the semi-arid portions of them.

In order to be able to offer some practical suggestions in hand-
ling these soils the Agronomist of the Extension Service of the A. and
M. College of Texas was assigned to make an investigation of these soils.
The investigation consisted of visiting “blow sand” farms for the pur-
pose of gaining all possible information from observation and from con-
sulting freely the men who were actually cultivating these loose sandy
soils. Care was exercised to visit only those men who had a reputation
for successfully handling these soils. The practices of the successful
farmer and the theories of the agriculturist were harmonized and re-
duced to writing. Eight “blow sand” farms were visited and four other
farmers were consulted-without visiting their farms. R. Q. Evans, Ed
T. Cox and D. F. Eaton, County Demonstration Agent for Callahan, East-
land and Comanche counties respectively were freely consulted because
they had traveled all over their respective counties and consequently were
in a position to offer most valuable suggestions on this subject. These
counties were selected for the investigation because they are typical of
the other counties in the “blow sand” region.

Consensus of Opinion

The shifting character of these soils under the almost constant
wind pressure at certain seasons of the year presents a serious and com-

plicated problem in field cultivation. The difficulty of the problem is
intensified when deep tilled and clean cultured crops are grown upon
this type of soil and the whole crop is removed from the land when har-
vested. On most of these sandy soils, especially on those under consider-
ation, the growing of cotton has been almost entirely abandoned, and the
growing of peanuts has taken its place. These soils are especially adapt-
ed to the growing of peanuts but the customary methods of harvesting
them removes the entire crop from the land. Such a system if persisted
in ‘for only a few years will render lands practically worthless for
agricultural purposes. The shifting of the loose sands from the sandy
fields to the adjacent clay-soil fields, unless checked, will soon render the
latter useless. From this cause the loose sand area is constantly increas-
ing.

The character of the soils of this region varies from a compact
clay soil that is not materially affected by the winds to a loose white
sand that shifts at the least agitation of the winds. Most of the inter-
mediategrades are easily controlled. The loose white sand presents the
most serious problem.

Remedies Suggested

The fundamental remedy, if the present system of farming is to
be followed, is incorporating vegetable matter with the soil and leaving
coarse trash on the surface of the field from the harvesting of one crop
till the planting of the next. Vegetable matter, or humus, has a binding
effect upon the soil particles of loose sand, and the coarse trash on the
surface overcomes the “crawling” tendency of the sands when agitated
by the winds. The customary method of harvesting peanuts neither puts
humus in the soil nor leaves trash upon the surface. Hence it is abso-
lutely necessary to grow peanuts in some sort of rotation upon this type
of soil when the usual methods of harvesting are followed. The usual
method of harvesting by lifting the vines and after curing, thrashing
them and selling the nuts and hay on the market direct, is the only method
when the peanut is grown as a money crop to supply the market created
by the demands of the oil mills. A good annual rotation would be to
grow after the peanut crop a crop of one of the grain sorghums, har-
vest the heads for grain and leave the stalks upon the land. A crop of
June corn would serve the same purpose. A summer crop of cowpeas
after a winter crop of one of the small grains, where the winter grains
are grown, would prove very effective if the pea vines were left on the
land. Very rarely, however, are the winter grains grown on the loose
sands. The crab grass and other weeds that spring up after an early

4

sweet potato crop or after a melon crop, if left undisturbed on the land,
will prove beneficial.

The more common and the more commendable rotation is grow-
ing the peanuts in alternate rows or in an alternate system of rows
with some other crop Cowpeas are the best crop suited to grow-
ing with peanuts in an alternate row system but June corn or one of
the grain sorghums may be used. If the corn or one of the grain sor-
ghums is used the yield of the peanuts will very likely be reduced be-
cause of the very heavy draught upon the soil moisture made by these
rank-growing crops. The cowpeas will not reduce the yield of peanuts
in a row, but there will be only one-half as many rows as where only
peanuts are grown. Three rows of peanuts alternating with three rows
of cowpeas has in practice proved the best system. A wider system
leaves too much space not covered with trash and exposed to the winds;
a narrower system interferes with the harvesting of the peanuts. What-
ever crop is used with the peanuts the stalks or the vines must be left
upon the land. Three rows of peanuts and one or two rows of Sudan
grass would doubtless prove a satisfactory combination. The dense stub-
ble of the Sudan grass will serve the same purpose as loose trash left

upon the surface and also act as a wind break.

As is well known, loose trash on the surface interferes with the
cultivation of peanuts. This difliculty can be largely overcome by plant-
ing the peanuts on the level and cultivating them the first time with the
sliding cultivator, or “go-devil.” The action of this implement tends to
arrange the trash parallel to the row in such a position that it will not
interfere with the young peanut vines in subsequent cultivations with
other and different implements.

The best method of harvesting the peanuts for hog raisers is to
allow the hogs to do the harvesting. Other crops in alternate rows to
conserve the land will be unnecessary if this method of harvesting is
adopted. The hogs eat the peas and a small portion of the tops, leaving
the roots in the ground and the stems on the surface. The temptation
would be to turn horses 01- cattle on the field to graze off the tops. This
can be done with safety to only a limited extent. The stems of the vines
must be left on the land.

Liberal applications of stable manure, where available, will prove
very effective if judiciously applied. Successful farming on these soils
will require all burning of stalks to be discontinued.

But little can be accomplished by the use of winter cover crops

6

on account of the very scant rainfall during the winter season. Rye can
perhaps be utilized for this purpose in a limited way where the lands are
fertile or where stable manure is used, provided it is sown early in the
fall so that it will become well rotted before winter begins and growth is
checked.

Bermuda grass will thrive upo_n these lands and produce more past-

urage than any other tame grass that can be grown on them. Hog raisers

and all other farmers for that matter, need permanent pastures, and Ber-
muda grass is the best grass for permanent pastures that will grow in that
region. It is at the same time both a sand binder and a permanent pas-
ture grass. There are, however, three objections to adopting this effec-
tive and profitable method of controlling “blow sand.” First, many of
these soils appear to be too poor to grow Bermuda grass under semi-arid
conditions rank enough to bind sand. Second, in many instances the
whole farm consists of “blow sand.” No farmer cares to set his whole
farm to permanent pasture. Third, there exists an unyielding prejudice
against having Bermuda grass on the farm for any purpose, for fear it
will spread to other parts of the farm and become a pest in cultivated
fields.

None of the rules for deep fall and early winter plowing apply

to the “blow sands.” They must be left undisturbed from the har-
vesting of one crop to the planting of the next. Then they should
be prepared and planted immediately. Preparation should be post-

poned till the strong winds of the spring season cease, usually from the
first to the middle of May. Prepare by the bedding method and run the
furrows at right angle to the direction of the prevailing winds. Here
is where the middle buster and lister has its place on the farm. Never
harrow. Leave the surface as rough as possible. Plow as soon after
a rain as possible. The puddling of the sand leaves the soil particles in
granular from and this granular form materially aids is overcoming the
shifting tendency of the sands. The soil does not blow so badly as if
left undisturbed. Puddling does not have the bad effect upon soils of
this type that it does upon the stiffer clay types. Plant only crops that
can be grown during the summer season, like peanuts, the grain sor-
ghums, sweet potatoes, cowpeas, and June corn. These sands are far
more drouth resistant than the stiffer types of soil. They absorb the
rains more readily and the shifting sands form a natural dust mulch.

In many places the sand is only four to six inches. Plowing these
lands sufliciently deep to mix the clay of the subsoil with the sand effect-
ually destroys the shifting character of the sands. This remedy is,

6

however, of only limited application. The sand is in pockets in many
instances. It will be six inches deep for quite a distance and then a
streak will appear that from a superficial observation is six feet deep.

Two Concrete Examples

Two striking illustrations of successful farming on “blow sands”
were observed in this investigation.

The first was the farm of Mr. C. E. Brennan and his story is
vouched for by his neighbors. Four years ago he abandoned cotton for
“peanuts and pigs.” He has one field of 65 acres of the worst kind of
“blow sand.” The first year only a part of this field was cultivated in
peanuts. The entire field has been in peanuts the three succeeding years.
Last year his profits from the hogs grazed on the peanuts in this field
amounted to $1100. He also has 70 hogs of various sizes and ages left
over from last season’s litters to stock the farm for the coming season.
The hogs sold were partially fed on crops that were grown the preced-
ing season. The cost of this extra feed was balanced against the 70
hogs saved to stock the farm for another year. At the beginning of the
change to “peanuts and pigs” he was in debt for his farm of 80 acres.
He now owns 240 acres and owes less on it than he did on the 80 acres
at the beginning. He always hogs off his peanuts. His sands, he claims,
blow less now than at the beginning. It was a fact of observation that
at this time they had blown less than any other sands in that immediate
vicinity. He emphasizes the fact that after the hogs have finished their
grazing the vines must be left to save the land for future crops.

The second was the farm of Mr. J. E. Dunn. His story as told
by his neighbors, not by himself, is that 10 years ago he settled on his
present homestead, then an abandoned “blow sand” farm. During these
10 years he has applied to a greater portion of his farm a total of 10
tons of stable manure per acre. This manure was hauled out from the
stables in Comanche and cost little or nothing save the hauling. He
is now rated one of the progressive and successful farmers of his county.
His farm does not “blow” at all. A field that had been cultivated in
corn the past season showed no signs of “blowing,” while an adjoining
field, just a fence between them, was literally “blown away.” Stable
manure did it. It will make any farmer progressive and successful who
uses it with intelligence.