Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-12-04
Whit Ais the Peanut?


"peanut business might remind one
somewhat of the old and familiar orato-
rical utterahce: "What Il fall was
there, my ceuntrymen? But there 10
millions in it, nevertheless. and Texas is
not supposed 10 be Il commonwealth go
overburdened with false dignity Us 10
necessitate the standing back even on
small! things, so considered, when it is
possible to convince her that those small
things az whole may be made to foot
up into millions OF revenue. Talk rea-
souahly of millions that might be scooped
in, and YOU are very ant to be on
theme " II calculated 10 interest the peo-
PIE OF Texas. Such is the theme, in our
opinion, that we have up for our leader
IN the present Issue of the Fort Worth
GAZETTE.
Texas Farm and Ranch for November
u saya:- at has been observed by
devotees of the peanut that OF late the
price has been going up and the quality
going down until both are now unsatls-
factory TO the consumer. The total Wis
lille supply in the United States on Octo-
Ger | was only 20 ,000 bags. The new
crop, which is estimated Mt heavy
yield, will not be ready for market until
about January !, so that half the present
winter must be passed under this un-
usual scarcity. The average consump-
zion of this country Is estimated at 6O0,-
400 bags per annum, or so, 900 bags per
month. The supply October l is only
sufficient for about twelve days at the
ordinary rate of consumption. There
should he more peanuts grown
Sc say we-there should be more pea
nuts grown were we called upon to
explain why more are not grown we'd
point To the fact that the main efforts at
growing peanuts are made IN regions
whose characteristics are not entirely
suited TO the requirements of tho crop.
The peanut (Archis hypog9a, some
times called g0ober and sometimes
ground-nut, is undoubtedly a native of
Mexico. White, in his Gardening for
the South, admits this, page TAG, though
not few writers put it down as an i'm
portation from Africa brought by the
early negroes carried from that country
TO serve rs slaves for this. To any sensi-
bic person the alleged African introduce
tion cannot do otherwise than appear rs
the merest nonsense. Where ia the
thinking man who could suppose for
moment that those naked barbarians,
already prisoners of war and condemned
10 death in their own country, and who
looked TO no better fate from their trans
fer TO our slave dealers, would have
brought agricultural seeds with them?
We well know It is claimed for many
introduced plants that they were brought
by the negroes from Africa, but doubt
less in every case the original representa-
ton was a pure fraud. Some fellow got
hold OF tha new things and wanted TO
put them upon the market, and since
there was, In those early DAYS, more talk
among Sautherners about Africa than
about any other foreign section OF the
world he affixed that peculiar African
introduction as q good selling card. We
have plenty of that same kind of thing,
even now-old products known TO many
OF us for half u century suddenly pop TO
the surface every now and then as an ip-
production from come other country,
and sail out on regular boom through
the papers under new name, of course.
While within the past half century We
may have made grand progress in agri-
culture, running to all its branches, the
person who has lived through that period
will not De able TO convince himself that
we have made any very great improve
mcnt on human nature.
The peanut was doubtless q cultivated
crop for Mexico ia the dGys of the Mon
tazumhs. Some of the old Spanish
writers in their enumeration of the pro-
duets OF the new country (Nexicol men-
ticn "a nOru that headed under the
soll'': anG since nothing in the "corn''
BARLEY or wheaD line has since been
found at all harmonizing with that men,
ton, the natural inference must De that
those old secretaries OF the first Spanish
expedition into Mexico referred 10 the
peanut.
This matter relative TO the nativity OF
The peanut has interest for us only in so
far as ii proves that Texas approaches
nearer to being the natural home of the
pro net than any other state in the
Union. That the peanut can be made u
success in Texas we well know from
numerous small garden tests made by
our people, hence, under all the Ciroum-
stances, one cannot do otherwise than
wonder why Texus has not long since
had her foot into the regular peanut
producing Industry, building up for her
self the reputation in that particular line
which she undoubtedly deserves.
There can exist no reasonable doubt
Of the fact that Texas has within her
borders some of the finest peanut lands
known to the world. Her every natural
condition is so favorable for the crop that
the sound reasoper can come 10 but one
conclusion: If II is possible 70 make
peanut culture profitable anywhere,
Texas ought TO be able TO GENE in on the
very top of the wave.
The lands TO which we refer are sandy
loans. Almost any of our lands, IL
made friRble by @ liberal addition Of
vegetable matter, will produce fue
yields of peanuts, get lands more or less
sandy appear 10 suit the crop best. All
our "black sandy lands will produce
il TO perfection, though there exists
possibility that the coloriug matter in
those lands would be something against
il on the market on account of q darkish
shade that might be impaired 10 the
pods; but the second bottom sandy lands
Hloug our streams, as along the Trinity,
for instance, being of a lighter color
could not work that possible trouble; in
deed they are exactly the same charac-
ter of lands as produce the great bulk Of
the peanuts grown within the United
States. The Virginia peanut lands are
precisely like our Trinity second bottom