The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1896-05-27
THE POTENT PEANUT.
ONE WOULD HARDLY THINK The
HUMsLE eoo5ER so IMPORTANT.

This Country Evsry NsaF--hc Most Su-
tritious and ~ Tar the ChsEprst g
Fooda-sHlstitute For Olive oil.
But little is known Of the peanut ont
side Of localities in which Il is grown.
and even where il Is most largely grown
its possibilities are for the most part not
at all realized, and il is not BY any
means made to yield the highest results
il is capable Of. Taking into account al
its sources Of value. the peanut ought to
be one Of tho most profitable of the gen
err farm crops in the south. The fol
loy ing facts about il are in the main
condensed from a bulletin Of the United
States department of agriculture pre-
pared by r. B. HarGy II the Office of
experiment stations.
The yearly production Of peanuts in
this country is about 1000. coo bushels
Of % pounds. the bulk Of tho crop being
produced in Virginia, Georgia. Tonnes
see and North Carolina. These 4,OO0.-
600 bushels. while fully supplying the
present demand Of the United States.
constitute but a small part Of the pea
nut crop Uf the world, as the exporta-
ton from Africa and India in 1922
amounted to nearly 400. 900. 600 pounds.
~ which 222. 900. 600 pounds went to
Marseillos for CONVERSION into oil.
The largest pant Of the American crop
is sold by street vcnders. but small
amounts arc used by confectioners. choc-
olate manufacturers and for the manu-
facture Of oil Peanut oil is used for
lubricating and snapmaking aud is n
good substitute for olive oil for salads
and Other culinary purposes and as a
substitute for lard and cottolene and
butter in cooking. TheTesidue from oil
making. known rs peanut cake. " is n
highly valued cattle food in the conn
tries Of Europe and Is also ground into
fine -four ard used rs human food It
makes good soup. griddle cakes. muf-
fins, etc. and is one OF the most nutIi-
tive Of foods The vines. when dried.
become u very nutritive hay readily
eaten by stock. though requiring care in
the feeding lest il produce collie.
The present uses Of the peanut and It's
products are likely to be greatly extend
ed and now channels 81 utility found
for IL. ms has been the case with cotton
seed. With better methods q tiliage and
a larger yield per acre the cost Of pro-
ducticn cuuld be greatly lessened. Ac-
cording to the eleventh census. the aver
age yield Il peanuts in the United
States in 1883 was l7.6 bushels Per
acre. the average in Virginia being
about 20 and IN Tennessee - bushels
per acre. Tiis appears 20 bc = very low
average, especially rs official and semi
official figures give 90 or go bushels rs
an average crop, and 100 bushels are not
an uncommon yield.
While the peanut iias been cultivated
I i'm the United States To limited extent
I for number Of years. IL l. only siucl
/ 1866 that the crop has become 81 rgi-
mary importance in the eastern section
/ Of this country, which seems peculiarly
/ adapted 10 its production. Between 1865
and 1870 theiapid spread of the culture
E of peanuts was phenomenal Zach wear
doubled and at times increased three
/ fold its crop over that uf the preceding
F year, so ihat this country. from being a
large importer of west African nuts.
was soon able to supply the domestic
/ demand with the home raised article
Virginia. North Carolina and Tonnes
see produce large part Of the peanut
| crop Of the United States. Within the
/ last few years this crop has ceased TO be-
rs profitable as heretofore. The method
I Of culture-the annual planting Of nuts
on the same land, the lack Of proper rO-
tatiOn Of crops. the complete removal of
all vegetation from the land and the fail
ure to replenish the soil by means of
fertilizerS-haS heon a great factor in
/ reducing the profits If the crop by re-
ducing the ability Of the land to pro-
duce such crops as were previously se-
cured in that section. 80 that now in
stead Of AN average OF so bushels Per
acre, with frequent yields If over 100
bushels. the average in the peanut sec
tiOns Is not over 20 bushels. while tho
cost Of cultivation has been but slightly
reduced.
As regards food value. peanut kelnels.
with an average Of 20 per cent Of pro-
tein, 40 per cent Of fat and IL per cent
Of carbohydrates in the dry material,
take high rank and should be classed
with such concentrated foods ~ sofa
beans. cotton seed. etc. The vines are
shown by analysis TO be superior 10
timothy hay as feeding stuff and but
slightly inferior to clover hay.
The ground hulls are used to a con-
siderable extent as n COARSE fodder in
European countries. Peanut meal, the
grOund residue from oil ext; iction. is n
valuable feeding stuff highly appreciat-
ed and extensively used IN 10. eign coun-
tries. IL contains. as the averages uf
over 1000 analyses show. about 90 per
cent OF protein, s per cent Of fat and 81
per cent Of carbohydrates and is one Of
the Hshst concentrated feeding stuffs
with which we are familiar. ranking
with cottonsee ed meal. linseed meal. etc. A.,