The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-12-14
BarrelIed Flies as Food
For Pet Birds, Etc.
Where They are Caught and
How Prepared for Market.
The Despised Peanut an Important
Article OF. Commerce.

A good many people have wondered Of
what earthly use the ordinary fly, which
Is such q bane to the housekeepsr in the
heated summer time, can possibly be. A
use has been found for flies, however,
though they are not OF the kind with
which We who live in this pert OF the
continent are familiar. Tnese flies are
dried and are used as food for imprisoned
birds and reptiles such as the chameleon
and they are imported into this country
IN barrels. The dies are obtained from
Mexico. They live In the swamps In
various sections Of the country and the
individual insect is called the moscos.
II is small and delicate-much more
delicate than that omnivorous scavenger,
the common mouse fiy-and its whole
body has the appearance OF having been
gilded. In life 1t must be beautiful. 1t
10 perfectly harmless The f1ios swarm
by the thousands and millions and are
captured In silken nets by men who
make 1t their business. Great quantities
OF them are "cured'' or dried In the city
of Mexico and other towns further east.
Most Of them thar are shipped to the
United States come through Laredo, Texas.
They are packed aud sold by the barrel.
Then there are ants eggs which are
imported for the same purpose. These
are brought from Germany mainly from
. point near Hamburg. In the Black
Forest lives a moster ant, and the eggs
are deposited in the ground In such
mbers that when a nest js uncovered il
is just like digging into q wheat bin
where the egg hunters commence work
with their shovels. After being dried they
are packed in barrels and shipped to
tte different parts of the world by the
firms engaged In the busin sss. The sup.
ply for this country Is distributed
through New York.
A Wholesale dealer In peanuts told the
9ossiper recently that while nearly every
one eats peanuts very few persons know
anything about them. The peanut crop
is one of the most profitab BILE of tho South.
The yearly production of peanuts in this
country 10 about 1000, 900 bushels of % |
pound each, the bulk of crop being pro-
duced In Virgins, Georgia, Tennessee
and. North Carolina. These 1000. 900 |
bushels constitute but q small proportion |
Of the peanut crop OF the world, as the |
expectation from Africa and India to
Europe In 1892 amounted to nearly
900, ,000, 900 pounds, half of which went to
A1arseilles to Do made into oil. The largest
amonnt OF the American crop 10 sold by
street vendors, but quantities are used
by confsctioners, chocolate manufactur-
srs and oilmakers.
Peanut oil is used for lubricating and
for soap and is good substitute for olive
oil, lard, cottolene and butter. The
residue from oil-making, known as
''peanut cake" In Europe, Is highly
valued as q cattle fodder, and Is also
ground into fine flour and used as human
food. The Virginia rpnning variety OF
p anut 10 the typical American peanut.
its vines are large, with spreading
branches, growing fat on the ground
nnd bearing pods over their entire length.
The pods sre large and white. There are
many other varieties grown in the other
States, tome OF them being upright
bushes instead OF vine. The peanut is
sorted In the factory into four grades,
The first three being..sold to venders and
the fourth sold to confectioners for max
ing burned almond" and cheap candies.