The Opelousas courier., 1895-06-08
FARM AND GARDEN.
THE PLEBElAN PEANUT.

Man and Beast.
The plebeian peanut, which rejoices
In such other homely names as earth"
nut, groundnut, ground pea, goober
and pindar, has assumed a newdignity,
having recently been honored as
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 as to
its uses.
1t is pleasant to be informed, first at
all, that the peanut is not a nut at all,
but a pea, and that Its she'll is not q
shell, buta pod. It is also we'll 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 it's 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 seven
varieties cultivated, some of them bunch
and some running vines. The yield
Of this underground pea is astonishing,
and the amount consumed is a testi-
monial to its popularity. The yearly
production here is about 4,00O,O 900
bushels of % pounds, which supply the
present demand in this country. This,
however, is but a 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, 600, 900 pounds.
The value of the homely little ground
pea, however, becomes especially ap-
parent when it's 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
co~nfectioners, and after their manipu-
lation reappears as peanut candy,
burnt almonds and in cheaper grades
of chocolates. The report says in this
connections: 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 a cost to the
consumers Of $40, 900, OO0), 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 a. 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 220. 600. 900
pounds a year for the making of al
legged olive oil. In India, Europe,
Brazil and this country the oil is used
incidentally. It is employed by a n
facturers in fulling cloth. 1t makes a
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. It is
pronounced an excellent cattle food.
A grade known a peanut meal" 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-
fins, ETC., and is one of the most nutri-
tive foods for human as well 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 conclusively 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 it 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
merce and plays a dignifed and useful
part in the economy of man and beast.
chicago Tribune.