rass
down, and do no harm to the young pods as they are forming on the vine.

=Implements.=--This topic has been, in a measure, anticipated, allusion
having already been made to the implements to be used in the cultivation
of this crop. A few additional remarks, however, may not be out of
place.

The weeders should be armed with the best steel hoes, with factory-made
helves of ash, light and slightly flexible. The superiority of this
hoe--usually called the "goose-neck hoe" in Virginia--over the old style
of weeding hoe, with the heavy and stiff home-made helve, cannot be
estimated, except by those who have tried both. The same hand can
perform an eighth more labor in a day with the light steel hoe, and do
it better, and with more ease to himself. The "goose-neck" will last two
or three seasons, costs but little more than the other kind, comes ready
for work, and is, therefore, very cheap. The blades should be kept sharp
by repeated filing.

With us the first plowing is generally done with the turn-plow, with a
small mould-board attached, throwing the earth into the balk. For the
second plowing, the cultivator or cotton-plow, is used, either one of
which does fine work on smooth land, and makes it quite easy for the hoe
hands. The third plowing is commonly performed with the cultivator, but
if the ground is rough, the turn-plow will answer better. It is not
common, however, to plant peanuts on very rough ground. For the fourth
and fifth plowings the cultivator or shovel-plow is used. But should the
crop get very grassy, (which should never be permitted), the turn-plow,
with large mould-board attached, is used, in order to cover up as much
of the grass as possible. This makes a large and objectionable ridge in
the balk, but it is the best way to conquer the grass when it gets too
strong a hold. The hoes follow the plow, and scrape off the remaining
grass, except that near the plants, into the balk. Bunches of grass that
have grown up among the vines have to be pulled out by hand. Thus, it
will be seen that there is no plow made especially for cultivating the
peanut crop, the same plows and implements that are used for other and
general farming purposes answering equally well for the cultivation of
this crop also.

=When Cultivation should Cease.=--When the peanut vines have interlocked
considerably along the rows, and have almost, or quite met across the
balks, it is high time to cease cultivating them. When the vine