Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1882-11-08
Peanuts.


i'll the world, except Marsclles, France
and the peanut trade here has grown to be
an important feature Of our commerce. Be-
sides numerous commission houses, where
they are handled, we have two large clean
ing establishments which employ some two
hundred ha2ds and have y capacity for
cleaning arcut ono thousand bushels per
day. The cleaning process is simple. The
peanuts are first placed in a large revolving
drum, which takes OIL the dirt and the
rough surface. Thence they are passed
through brushes which polish the surface
and finally over Il series of canvass strips in
motion, about which number of hands
stand and assert them as they come along.
picking OF: the faulty ones and allowing
the choice peas to find their way into bags.
But the peanut must be grown before it is
cleaned. 1t is planted in light soil generally
about the Goth of May, some two or three
seeds to the hill, and when it comes
up makes pretty bunchy plant, not
unlike clover. About the first or mid
die Of August, a pretty yellow bios
som makes its appearance and almost
simultaneously with the first appearance of
| the blossom. numerous shoots. form Oh the
plant and make their way into the ground.
On these shoots or pins as the farmers
call them, the peas iorlu first a wee speck
of germ, but gradually developing until
| the nut and the hull assert their individu-
| allty and then grow to maturity together.
The hull never forms any real part of the
| pea and Is provided by nature as Il protcc-
ton merely to the dainty nut. BY the Goth
Of September the pea has maturcd and is
then ploughed up and stacked with the
vine about small pole in the field. Here
it is left to remain until the vine and pea
arc cured" Ey the suns action, and the pea
is then picked from the vine and ready for
market. The vine makes good feed for
stock and is an excellent article for fcrtiliZ:-
ing purposes. 1t is worth the price of dig
@ing the pea and farmers sometimes give
the vine in payment OF that work.
| The peanut is a native of Africa, though
it has never had the advantage of an eman-
cipation act and is still bought and sold rs
Il commercial commodity. 1t has, however
materially improved its condition BY com.
ing TO a civilized country and is now
much larger and dantier than its
African brother, or, let us say, progenitor
The African article was once largely import
cd to this country, but is no longer favor
tc with us and an invoice o! African peas
shipped to New York last year was not
marketable. This variety now finds its
market in Marscilles. where il and the m
dian cotton seed are manufactured into olive
oil and imported TO this country, so that
i'll point of fact the African pea does find its
way TO America still.
Seriously. it is IL little singular that the
war which was waged for the emancipation
of the black man should have brought the
peanut into prominence. Upto to this time
peanuts were not grown TO any apprccable
extent as an article Of traffic. and their com
mercia value is post bcllum. The Yankees
tasted the dainty nut during the war and
while they did not become so fascinated
with its delicate flavor as did the soldiers of
Nenophon with the lotos, they fell so
much III love with it rs an article of diet
that as soon rs they returned to their homes
in the North, began 10 clamor for it and the
Southern farmer turned his attention from
the negro TO his ncighbor, the peanut. and
soon the growing Of peanuts came to be q
great industry in certain portions Of Virgin
ia, North Carolina and Tennessee.
The crop i'll Virginia last year was short,
but it is sperhaps above the average this year.
The new crop is beginning to come in and
lne market here Is now quite active and a
good article is worth cents per pound.
This is said, by Il prominent dealer here to
be equal to something like S cents per
pound in August next as thepea grows much
i lighter as it dries. The principal peanut
! growing counties in Eirginin are Southamp-
ton, Nansemond, Isle Of Wight, Surry, Sus-
sex. Prince George Gloucester, Norfolk
Princess Annie and Il few in Warwick and
Charles City. The crop is said to have
been damaged by the warm weather that
is to say that portion of the crop which has
been dug, while the crop which has remain
cd in the ground until lately has been much
improved.-NorJo7k T-irginian.