The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1895-04-06
FARM AND GARDEN.
The a N
1t Plays a Cseful Part in the Economy
Man and Beast

Man and Beast
The plebeian peanut, which reioices
in such other homely names as e. nth.
nut, groundnut, ground pea. goo5er
and pindar. has assumed a new dign.t ",
having recently been honored as
the subject of a special report by
n of the experiment officers of the
national department of agriculture.
The report corrects some prevail mt
mistakes as to this little article of con-
sumption. gives astonishing statistics
as to its value as a food product. and
presents many interesting facts as to
its uses
1t is pleasant to be informed. first of
all, that the peanut is not a nut at all,
but a pea and that Its shell is not a
shell, but a pod. Its also well TO know
that while cotton, Indian corn, pota-
toes and tobacco have usually been
considered the four plants of CONNER
cial Importance which America has
given to the world, the peanut must
be added, as the weight of authority
fixes its birthplace IN Brazil. The
crop has become of primary impor-
lance since 1866, and Virginia. North
Carolina and Tennessee produce the
largest part OF it. There are sever
varieties c~ulti-2ted, some of them bunch
and some running vines. The yield
of this underground pea is astonishing,
and the amount consumed is a testi-
mclial TO its popularity. The yearly
production here is about 1000, 900
bushels Of 30 pounds. which supply the
present demand in this country. This.
Eowcver. IS hut 2 small portion OF the
worlds crop. The expectation from
Africa and India to Europe in 1899
amounted to nearly 400, 900. 900 pounds.
The crop of the world may be safely
estimated at 600,O 900, 900 pounds.
The value of the homely little ground
pea, however. becomes especially ap
parent when its uses are considered.
1t IS sorted in the factory into four
grades. the first. second and third be-
ing sold TO vendors of the roasted pea
nut, either directly or through jobbing
houses. The fourth grade is sold to
confectioners. and after their manipu-
lation reappears as peanut candy,
burnt almonds and in cheaper grades
of chocolates. The report says in this
connection: The extent of the use of
the peanut by the American people
will be more fully appreciated when it
is remembered that they use 1000. 600
bushels of nuts yearly lat a cost to the
of So 900. 600. which do not
form a part of the regular articles of
food but are eaten at odd times" The
planter uses the nut as a fattener for his
hogs and the vine as peanut hay for
his stock, and the feeding value is in
creased when some of the nuts are
cured and fed with the hay. Millions
of bushels are used in the old world
for the production of oil, which is
regarded as equal to olive oil. In fact,
great quantities are used, unknown to
the consumer. instead of the latter,
Marseilles alone taking 900, 900. 900
pounds a year for the making OF al
legged olive oil. In India. Europe,
Brazil and this country the oil is used
intellectually. 1t is employed by manu-
facturers in fulling cloth. 1t makes a
good lighting fluid. and is largely
uScu w llC lidHuldNluIc Il VI Sbdp
and as a lubricant in machine
shops. The oil cake is used in Germany
for fattening cattle and sheep. 1t is
pronounced an excellent cattle food.
A grade known as peanut neal is
made by grinding the hulls, immature
peanuts, and those of inferior grades
and a certain quantity of sound nuts
mixed with other ingredients. The
residue. known as peanut cake"
makes good soup, griddle cakes, muf-
fms, etc. INC is one of the most nutri-
tive foods for human as we'll as animal
consumption. The report says: AL
though the experiment made with pea
nut meal and biscuits as food for the
German army was not so successful as
to induce the authorities to adopt it as
a part of the rations, still analysis has
shown c~onclusively that it is a most
nourishing food for man. and as COM
pared with other well-known forms of
vegetable and animal food it has a
high nutritive value" From all of
which 1t appears that this little nut or
pea. which hitherto has been looked
down upon as the stock in trade of the
street corner vender. the food of the
gallery god. and the luxury of the cir
Gus. has other and higher uses and is
one of the important staples of COM
MERGE and plays a dignified and useful
part in the economy of a and beast.
Chicago Tribune.