The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-12-15
ABOUT THE FESTIVE PEANUT.
How and Where They Grow and Are
Cultivated and Harvested.
From the Journal of Education.

From the Journal of Education
The peanut is not nut at all. 1t is
ground pea, and is called a nut because ID
has nut-like shell. The plant blossoms
in the air and sunlight, but after the bios
som has fallen off, the stem upon which
it was plows or punches itself into the
ground several inches, where the seed
portion of the flower begins to enlarge and
develop into pale yellow, wrinkled, cury-
ed pod" with a slight drawing together
in the middle. If the stem does not find
its way into the ground within day or
two after the flower falls off, the stem
dies. The surface of the pod is netted.
The peanut has never been known 70
grow wild, and it is not known where II IS
native. A hundred years ago the peanut
was a leading article of food in A1rIca,
and the slave traders loaded their vessels
with peanuts and the negroes lived on
them on the voyage.
1t grows abundantly in japan, China ana
in all East India countries. II was ny
much cultivated in the United states liltI
1906. Their extended cultivation was ne Ie-
suit of the war. Until then there had been
large importations from Africa, but s.iic I
1870 this country has raised all 1t has use s.,
Virginia, North Carolina and Tennes ie5
produce most of the crop of the unl.su
states. Under good conditions, before w lo
land has been exhausted by rising ny! IA
ScllAt tIpD 100 lOIlB, IDtY can IdiSt AAS'--
to 100 bushels to the acre. AL.
The pea vines are better food for c9llls
tnan timothy hay and almost as goOI %
clover: Peanut meal is good food LOT ca,
tIe. A bushel of good peanuts weighs 5OOu'
u pounds. The peanuts are ploWeu w
rather than dug up. The plow turns up ~ ~
SOIL and looSens vine and pods from W W
earth, and they are then pitch-forkeas Nv \;
OF the ground, the earth being carelL IN
shaken from the plants. They are ploWeu
up IN the morning, pitched into rows SUI SUI
after, and at night pitched into stan
about a pole seven feet high. Rails are
laid below the ines so that the lower popss
will not be pressed into the earth ana ue
spoiled. The vines are so placed as 10 HdF =
the pods inward toward the pole anu %
space is left for air next to the pole. ~.
the top of the stack is hay or corhs'@'A'
to keep out the rain.
The stack is left from two to three
weeks, and then women and children piIs
the good pods from the vines. ms -
slow work and quite expensive. SONS
farmers leave the vines two days aIte5I
blowing before they are shaken OUT any Sltt
some make their stacks fourteen I Iss
nigh. Some leave them in the stacks 70
than two weeks and put them IN par ~
till they are ready to market them -
have leisure to pick them. ia,
Some farmers pick them from the VIE ,s
by machines. The pods are cleaned "
machinery before being put in SACKS ii
sack holds four bushels. Peanuts WI
put up and kept in dry place are goOu
There are about 100000 bushels Of pea
nuts raised in the United States eaCn
year. The rest of the world raises Ho oT
times as many as the United States OF
10000, 900 bushels
The peanuts are four grades The ms ms
three grades are for three grades OF Ven.
ders of roasted peanuts. The fourth a. !?
for confectioners for burnt almohus
or peanut candy e..
The American people pay $1,000 O.g u, H. H.
peanuts, not to eat as food but TO hlOO''
for fun.