The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1896-02-19
THE POTENT PEANUT.
ONE WOULD HARDLY THINK THE
HUMBLE GooBER so IMPORTANT.

tritious and by Far the Cheapest of
Foods-substitute For Olive OH.
But little IL known of tho peanut out
side Of localities in which it is grown,
and even where it is most largely grown
its possibilities arc for the most part not
at all realized, and it is not by any
means made to yield the highest results
it is capable Of. Taking into account all
its sources of value, tho peanut ought to
be ono Of the most profitable of the gen
eral farm crops in tho south The fol-
lowing facts about il arc in tho main
condensed from bulletin of the United
States department of agriculture pre-
pared by II. b. Handy Of the Office of
experiment stations.
Tho yearly production of peanuts in
this country is about 1000, 900 bushels
Of 22 pounds, the bulk Of tho crop being
produced in Virginia, Georgia. Tennes-
SEQ and North Carolina. These 1000
900 bushels, while fully supplying the
present demand of the United States,
constitute but a small part of the pea
nut crop Of the world, rs tho oxporta-
tion from Africa and India in 1899
amounted tonearly 400, 900, 900 pounds,
Of which 222, 1000, 900 pounds went to
Marseilles for conversion into oil.
The largest part Of the American crop
is sold by street vendors, but small
amounts are used by confectioners, choc-
olate manufacturers and for the manu-
facture Of oil. Peanut oil is used for
lubricating and soapmaking and is a
good substitute for olive oil for salads
and other culinary purposes and as a
substitute for lard and cottolene and
butter in cooking. The residue from oil
making, known as peanut cake" is
tries of Europe and is also ground into
fine flour and used as human food. 1t
makes good soup, griddle cakes, muf
fins, etc., and is one Of the most nutri-
tive Of foods. The vines, when dried,
become very nutritive hay, readily
eaten by stock, though requiring care in
the feeding lest it produce collie.
products are likely to be greatly extend
ed and new channels of utility found
for it, as has been the case with cotton
seed. With better methods of lage and
a larger yield per acre the cost Of pro-
duction could be greatly lessened. Ac-
cording to the eleventh census, the aver
age yield Of peanuts in the United
Gtata In, phn1
acre, the average in Virginia being
about 30 and in Tennessee 32 bushels
per acre. This appears to be very low
average, especially as official and semi
official figures give 90 or 60 bushels as
an average crop, and 100 bushels are not
an uncommon yield.
While the peanut has been cultivated
in the United States to limited extent
for number Of years, it is on'r since
1865 that the crop has become of pri-
mary importance in the eastern section
of this country, which seems peculiarly
adapted to its production. Between 1865
and 1870 the rapid spread Of the culture
of peanuts was phenomenal. Each year
doubled and at times increased three
year, so that 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 Tennes-
see produce large part Of the peanut
crop Of the United States. Within the
last few years this crop has ceased to be
nc y,rofifabla NO harafofora Tho ,oathod
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 been great factor in
reducing the profits Of the crop by re-
ducing the ability of the land to pro-
duce such crops as were previously Sc
cured in that section, 30 that now in
stead Of an average Of 80 bushels per
acre, with frequent yields Of over 100
bushels, the average in the peanut Sec
tions is not over 90 bushels, while the
cost Of cultivation has been but slightly
reduced.
As regards food value. peanut kernels,
VAth eh afOAd6O Va 90 PoA Sohb VI phO-
tein, 40 per cent Of fat and IA per cen
of carbohydrates in the dry material,
take high rank and should be classed
with such concentrated foods as sofa
beans. cotton seed, eto. The vines are
shown by analysis to be superior to
timothy hay as feeding stuff and bu
slightly inferior to clover hay.
The ground hulls are used to con-
siderable extent as o coarse fodder in
European countries. Peanut meal, the
ground residue from oil extraction, is o
valuable feeding stuff highly appreoiat-
ed and extensively used in foreign coun-
tries. 1t contains, as the averages Of
over 1000 analyses show. about 50 per
cent of protein. per cent Of fat and ~
per cent Of carbohydrates and is one Of
the most concentrated feeding stuffs
with which we are familiar, ranking
with oottonseed meal, linseed meal, etc.,
and In some cases ahead OF them.
In describing the uses Of peanuts 1t is
scarcely necessary to more than refer to