Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1895-04-12
THE rOOTHSOME PEANUT.
Ten Million Dollars Spent Annually In
America For This "FruIt.7

Ten Million Dollars Spent Annually In
America For This "FruIt.-
A man incidentally asked street
vender if his peanuts were first class,
and the response to the inquiry was sur
prising.
NO." said the vender, you do not
get first class peanuts in this country In
this way. The best peanuts are used for
other purposes They are made into
meal and grits by scientific men, and in
Germany they are prepared for sick
people in the hospitals The peanuts
you get in candy are the very poorest
grade, and some Of the burnt almonds
which you get are nothing more than
fourth rate peanuts.
where did the peanut come fromP
"From Central and South America.
They grow there in long pods, and the
pods contain from four to five kernels.
They were carried to the old world in
the early days, and in the seventeenth
century they constituted the chief staple
Of Africa. You will find IL you look it
up that tho slave dealers Of Africa in
those days used TO load their ships with
peanuts to be used ~ food for their hu-
man cargoes. The negroes who were
imported from Africa to this country
brought over the peanut, and they were
scattered and first grew in Virginia.
And now this country is raising the
crop, and, owing to American shrewd-
ness, the nut is ground and used for
various purposes and shipped all over
the world.
II reckon you know" the vender
continued, that peanuts in certain
condition are more nutritious than beef.
When specially prepared, they rank
with beans and peas. The peanut is said
to contain 30 per cent of protein and 40
per cent Of fat. What is known as pea
nut meal contains % per cent Of protein
and s per cent Of fat 1t is the cheapest
of all food materials.
In 1861 and 1865 peanut oil was
manufactured largely in four southern
states and was employed as a substitute
for olive OIL In fact, one druggist ad-
mitted, some of the 'olive oil" sold now
in this country is nothing more than
peanut oil. Nearly all Of the olive oil
sold in the United States is mixed with
part Of the peanut. Peanuts furnish
from 30 to so per cent Of the weight OF
their kernels in oil. Sometimes peanut
oil is used for lighting, and, again, it
is utilized 10 advantage in the making
of soap and as a lubricant in machine
shops.
The American peanut is larger and
better favored than any other, but 1T
does not contain so much oil as the
African nut. The cake" which is left
after extracting the oil makes excellent
feed for cattle and is used very largely
for that purpose in Germany, where it
sells from $50 to $39 ton. This coun-
try owes to Germany the suggestion it
has received in relation to the edible
qualities of peanuts. and the depart
ment of agriculture is now inVestigat-
ing the method of Germany in tho way
in which that country has handled the
nut, and the result is to be published
by the department for the benefit Of the
farmers.
The United States now produces
1000, 900 bushels Of peanuts annually,
or 8S, 900, 600 pounds. The total worlds
supply amounts TO about 500, 900, 900
pounds. The expectation from Africa
and India to Europe during the last
year amounted to nearly 400, 900, 600
pounds OF this quantity 222, 900, 900
pounds were delivered at the port of
Marseilles. the bulk of it being pressed
for oil.
1t is estimated that $40, 900. 600 worth
Of peanuts are eaten every year in the
United States, and most OF the guam
tity, it is said, is consumed between
meals and at odd times Chicago POST