The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1885-02-06
Profits in Peanuts.

Everybody eats peanuts. but ver1
few know where they are raised OF
, how they are handled. They are,
strictly speaking, plebeian article OF
J diet. Nc one ever saw peanuts ON
, fashionable dinner-table or among the
delicacies at banquet, yet the amount
of these nuts consumed annually is
simply enormous. Foreign countries
have never been educated to recognize
the good qualities of the peanut, and
consequently none are exported.
Within. the last two years the raising
and handling of the 'guber," as the
peanut is called in the south, has be-
come an important industry. Yet the
producing sections are confined to
eastern Virginia and western Tennes.
see along the Cumberland river. The
largest markets for peanuts in the
world are Norfolk and Cincinnati, and
in these cities several firms do nothing
but buy and sell the poor mans fruit.
About two months ago the most exten,
sive peanut commission house in Gin
cinnati removed to st. Louis, and will
try to make this city an outlet for the
Tennessee stock. Strange to say, st.
Louis, although 250 miles nearer the
Cumberland river than Cincinnati, has
done only an insignificant trade in
peanuts. From the usually large
quantity of "gubers" seen at con-
fectiony stores and corner fruit-stands,
the uninitiated would naturally sup
pose that peanutsgr spontaneously,
but such is not the case. They must
be tended with great care, and the
crop is very valuable. Last year the
total yield was comparatively light,
being about 100000 bushels, while
this season the crop is over 3,500,00O
bushels. Last year they sold at u
cents a pound, while this year they can
be had at 81 cents. The peanut grows
very much like sweet potato, and tho
vine resembles the red clover Wher-
ever new leaf starts out tendril is
formed, which extends into the
ground The average yield is from
thirty to seventy bushels to the acre,
and there are about one hundred pea
nuts on each vine. The article is
good one for speculation, and money
IAN be made by judicious investments,
because peanuts do not DECORATE with
lge and keep their tast for years. The
expense of raising them is twice that
# corn. The reason of this is that the
ruit must be picked by hand, which
8 slow and laborious. The average
nnual consumption is over two mil
ion bushels. Of course, the con-
depends upon the price to
reat extent. The experiment of Gull
waiting peanuts in California was re-
emily attempted with signal success,
nd the Golden state will probably be-
1me rival of Virginia as a peanut
reducing locality. A few are raised
North Carolina, Missouri and Ar
lnsas, but the two states referred to
ow nlne-tenths of all the peanuts
ed in the world. A good deal of
i'll is required in handling gubers.
ley are shipped in the rough, and
, process of cleaning and grading
done by the Wholesale purchaser.
g peanuts are emptied from sacks
o large bin and are run through a
which separates the chat. Pass
down through another fan, the
1t nuts are thrown aside and the
atty ones run along groove, when
black and inferior stock is picked
by girls, and when the mats reach
packing-room there are two grades
ring the various processes through
oh they are sent the nuts be come
IN and polished. Of course they
st be roasted before people will eat
n. AS soon as the river will per-
a boat will be sent to the Tennes-
river to buy up as much as posi-
OF the pranut crop there, and if
'lble secure portion. if not all, of
Cincinnati trade. Peanuts are al
S staple article, and if st. Louis
leeds in turning the markat hare
Il! be worth thousands of dollars in
slness way-St. Louis Globe DEM
t..