The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1895-06-01
FAkM AND GARDEN.
THE PLEBElAN PEANUT.

| Man and Beast.
The plebeian peanut, which rejoices
in such other homely names as earth
nut, gronndnnt, ground pea, goobel
and pindar, has assumed new dignity
having recently been honored al
the subject of a special report BY
one of the experiment officers of the
national department of agriculture
The report corrects some prevalent
mistakes as to this little article of con,
sumption, gives astonishing statistics
as to it's value as a food product, and
presents many interesting facts Is to
| its uses.
| 1t is pleasant to be informed, first OF
all. that the peanut is not nut at all,
but q pea, and that Its shell is not q
shell. but a pod. 1t is 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'
tance since 1866, and Virginia, North
Carolina and Tennessee produce the
largest part of it. There are seven
varieties cultivated, some of them bunch
and some running vines. The yield
of this underground pea is astonishing,
and the amount consumed is testi-
monial to its popularity. The yearly
production here Is about 1900. ZOO
bushels of % pounds. which supply the
present demand in this country. This.
however, is but small portion of the
worlds crop. The expectation from
Africa and India to Europe in 1892
amounted to nearly 400, 900, 900 pounds.
The crop of the world may be safely
estimated at 600, 900, 900 pounds.
The value of the homely little ground
pea, however, becomes especially APP
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. 900
bushels of nuts yearly lat cost to the
consumers of $4,000, OOO), which do not
form part of the regular articles of
food but are eaten at odd times The
planter uses the nut as 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
as equal to olive oil. in fact,
great quantities are used, unknown to
the consumer, instead of the latter,
alone taking 200, 0OO. 900
pounds year for the making of al
legged olive oil. In India. Europe,
Brazil and this country the oil is used
1t is employed by manu-
facturers in fulling cloth. 1t makes
good lighting fluid, and is largely
used by the manufacturers of soap
and as a lubricant in machine
shops. The oil cake is used in Germany
for fattening cattle and sheep. 1t is
an excellent cattle food.
A grade known as peanut meal" is
made by grinding the hulls, immature
and those of inferior grades
and certain quantity of sound nuts
mixed with other ingredients. The
known as peanut cake"
makes good soup, griddle cakes, muf-
fms, etc, and is one of the most nutri- |
i've foods for human as well as animal |
The report says: 'Al.
,hongh the experiment made with pea
tut meal and biscuits as food for the
German army was not SO successful as
o induce the authorities to adopt it as
part of the rations, still analysis has
hown conclusively that it is most
food for man, and as COM
jared with other well-known forms of
vegetable and animal food it has q
Ugh nutritive value" From all of
which it appears that this little nut or
ea, which hitherto has been looked
own upon as the stock in trade of the
treet corner vender, the food of the
allery god, and the luxury of the cir
us, has other and higher uses and is
ne OF the important staples of COM
nerce and plays dignif1ed and useful
art in the economy of man and beast.
Chicago Tribune.
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