Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1884-10-10
THE HARVESTING OF NUTS.

the PIebeian Peanut, With a Few
yRemarks on intermediate Qualities
r-An Increased Demand of All Kinds
of Nuts I'm the Markets.
AS the fall and winter months draw
near the large wholesale grocers and
confectioners are preparing TO get IN
their winter stock OF nuts, says the
Brooklyn Eagle. The consumption
of nuts Of all kinds is increasing The
old idea that nuts were lndlgestlbie
has been exploded for many. years
past. and those who are fond of good
living love to have a good dish OF
mealv nuts set down before them on
an evening after dinner. Nuts are
growing more popular every year as
an article of table dessert, and even
the grocery stores are now keeping
them. whereas formerly they were to
be found only in the confectionery
stores. In consequence OF the grow
ing demand, tAc wholesale trade has
ereatly,ncreased,a and where only few
bags Of foreign nuts were handled
few wears ago, thousands of bushelsnow
find a market annually. In Boston,
and especially in New York, the
wholesale dealers have come to re,
gard the nut crop as one OF sure ana
steady sale. The most important cen
ter of the trade in nuts is New York.
| and to that city most of the consign-
ments are made. Boston is also doing
a good business in this line, and now
has a regular line OF steamers Tor
ports on the Mediterranean.
The English walnut is probably the
first in importance, which, by the
way. is not English at all. The great
part of these nuts come from Naples
and certain French ports. The best
walnuts are received from Naples and
GrenobIe, and about all that are
raised in these places find ready sale
in the Empire City. They are IN
flavor and quality the finest which
come into the market, and are care
fully husbanded and sent for sale
from the nut producing sections Oh
Italy, Spaine and France. AL the
nuts that can be raised on the little
Island which are part OF the Great
Britain are used in England, and
there are very few few which lind
market elsewhere. Hence the so calico
English walnut in our markets would
be more properly called Italian,
French or Spanish walnut. Lately
in the State Of Massachusetts, the peo-
pie have commenced the cultivation
of the walnut, and now many trees
are to be seen in the various parts OF
that state.
Brazil nuts, as the name indicates,
are from Brazil. There is no record
of their being found in any other
country. It IS said by persons who
have visited that land that the trees
are beautiful to behold They are
often 100 feet in height, and their
foliage is magnificent. They pro
duce a round, woody pericarp, often
five or six inches in diameter, and
sometimes containing as many as
twenty-five of the triangular, prism
Snapped nuts. The trees bear aDund-
antfy. and large quantities are snip
ped to the trade in New York. On
the banks of the Orinoco and In
Northern Brazil the trees are the most
abundant From the port OF Para
great quantities are shipped to Europe,
and also to the United States. The
nuts are cheap and worth in the mar
ket in New York from to cents
pound, while English walnuts are
worth 10 TO Is cents, and almonds Ia
cents. The Brazil nuts are very oily
and rich, and it is said that they
defeat their own market simply be-
cause thew are too rich for small
amount Of money. AS it is very
hard to get them thoroughly dry, 1t
is difficult to ship them, and con
scquently loss of time and money is
sometimes occasioned by the nuts be-
coming rotten. Another great draw
back is that, when put into bags, the
heat is so intense that the bags are
rotted before the journey is half over.
That is one reason why the wholesale
dealers in this section of the country
keep them in the air as much as posi-
BILE.
The next nut IN Importance IN the
foreign trade is the almond. TINS IS
the kernel or seed of the sweet al
mond. These nuts formerly came
from Barbary, but lately they are
cultivated in the warm climates of
Europe and Asia. Even IN California
this nut has been carefully cultivated,
and it is expected that in time our tull
supply will come from that state;
Sometimes the trees grow to a height
of 300 feet, aud the leaves, with those
of the cherry and peach tree, contain
prussic acid. Almonds are said to be
very indigestiblc, but, even If they
were never eaten raw, the sale would
be large, as they are much used IN
fancy cooking and confectionery.
Next in line are quoted filberts,
which are stated by authorities to be
the cousins of our English friends,
the hazelnuts. They evidently belong
to the same family, and are extensive
ly raised on the Islands of Sicily, AVID
formerly large quantities were
brought from Spanish ports. Ihey
are great favorite, and IN England
parties are made up especially to en-
Joy an evening eating tilberts. Ihey
are wholesome. but very oily. the OH
is known as quick dryer, and is much
used by artists and the manufacturers
of fine varnishes. The English hazel
nuts are, as a first crop, insignificant,
and are entirely consumed at home;
but in California and the southern
states the filbert, like the almond and
other nuts. is becoming cultivated by
degrees. Filberts, like hazelnuts, are
the seeds of shrub or bush general
ly growing in clusters frsm five to
fifteen feet in height.
The cocoanut is the fruit Of the
cocoa palm tree, a naive of tropical
climates only, and hourishing best on
the seashore. The greatest supply to
this part of the country comes from
the East and West Indies and few
ports in South America.
The nut palm trees grow sometimes
to height of of 100 feet, but general
ly they only reach sixty feet. In some
cases the height has averaged ITO feet.
The nuts grow in clusters of from ten
to twelve and these are
reproduced about every SIX
or seven weeks. A. tree generally
produces from seventy-five to one
hundred nuts year. The cocoanut
is very important for commerce, aud
there is always great demand for it.
The process of desiccating or drying
and packing cocoanuts has extended
their use. New York fruit merchants
handle hundreds of thousands every
year. Crude oil is made from the
nuts by natives of the countries IN