The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1883-11-16
Peanuts in the South.
THE PROFIT IN THEIR CULTIVATION AMI
HOW THEY ARE USED.

The crop OF peanuts in the United
States this year is estimated to be
worth S3,OOo,000. Virginia will throw
upon the market at least 2,4OO,O0
bushels, Tennessee 275,000 bushels,
North Carolina $4,000 bushels, South
Carolina 100000 bushels, and Ala
bama as much as both the Carolinas
combined
Northern people have but faint
idea what great business peanut rails
ing has become in the South Fortunes
at which some New York brokers
would open their eyes in amazement
are made south of Mason and Dixons
line, and made from peanuts, too.
II, as some people believe, Africa
sent a curse to America in slavery, she
certainly conferred blessing in the
universally popular peanut which grows
so well throughout the Southern re.
gions that we shall soon be able to cut
off their now large importation alto
gether In Virginia they are called
"peanuts;" in North Carolina "ground
peas,' in South Carolina, Georgia and
Mississippi, "pinders;" in Alabama,
'ground-nuts," and in Tennessee, 5000
bers."
The preparation of peanuts for the
market is an interesting operation.
They are first put into an immense cyl
inder, from which they enter the brush
es, where each nut receives fifteen or
sixteen feet of brushing before it be-
comes free. After this cleansing pro
cess the nuts drop on an endless belt,
which revolves very slowly. On each
side Of the belt is row of girls--black,
white, tan colored and crushed straw
berry, some of them-whose duty it is
to separate the poor nuts from the good
ones.
Those of the nuts that ''pass" go on
to the next room, where more await
their arrival and put them in bags
which, when filed, are sewed up and
branded as ''cocks," with the figure of
rooster prominent on each sack
These are the mo. II peanuts. The
poorer, which were separated by the
girls at the endlesss belt are all picked
over again; the best are singled out and
branded, and afer being put 10 the
sack, as ships The "ships" are not
so large nor so fine in appearance as
the "cocks" but they are Just as good
for eating.
The third grade of nuts is known as
''eagles," and the cuttings that are left
from the "esgles" are sent to a build
ing where the little meat that is in them
is extracted by patent shelter. This
''meat"-for by this name it is known
to the dealers-is put up, clean aud
nice, ir 200 pound bags and shipped
for the use of confectioners aud maui
facturers of peannt candy.
There is also an oil made from some
of the nuts, and in this speciality, / am
told, large trade is done by whole
sale druggist. OF the peanuts there is
nothing wasted, for even the shells are
made useful, being put in immense
sacks and sold to livery men for horse
bedding, and very comfortable: health
full bed they make.
| see by one of the Atlanta papers
that mill is to be built for the manu-
facture of peanut flour, which it is said
makes most excellent biscuit In parts
of Georgia have eaten pastry made
from peanut flour, and it was excellent,
resembling cocoanut in taste somewhat,
although much more oily and sweet.
The kernels of the peanuts are groud
between ordinary millstones and the
flour is"bolted," or sifted through wire
sieves in order that all the coarse, sharp
pieces and the leather.like skins may
be removed. The refuse-if it may be
so called-makes excellent food for
pigs.
The cultivation of the peanut will
before long, be one of the industries of
the South, and bids fair, in time, tc
rival cotton growing as an occupation,
the profits to each acre of land being
about the same, and peanuts are much
easier to grow than cotton, requiring
less care and attention.
There is one objection however, to
peanut flour as steady diet 1t is
said to be very injurious to the teeth,
causing them first to turn yellow and
then decay.