Southwest-sentinel. [volume] (Silver City, N.M.) 1883-189?, 1896-04-07
THE POTENT PEANUT.
ONE WOULD HARDLY THINK THE
HuMHLE eooBeR so IMPORTANT.

But little is known Of the peanut cat.
side Of localities IN which II "a grown,
and even whore Il IL most largely grown
its possibilities are for the most part not
at All realized, and Il IL not by any
means mado 70 yield the highest results
Il Il capable Of. Taking into account all
its sourCoa Of value. the peanut ought 70
Be one Of the most profitable Of the gen.
sral farm crops IN the south. The FOL.
lowing facts about Il are In the main
condensed from builetin Of the United
States department Of agriculture pro-
pared BY r. B. Handy Of the ofice Of
experiment stations
The yearly production Of peanuts IN
this country is about 1000, 900 bushels
Of % pounds, the bulk Of the crop being
produced In Virginia. Georgia, Tennes-
see and North Carolina. These 4,OOO,-
900 bushels, while fully supplying the
present demand Of the United States,
constitute but small part Of the pea
nut crop OF the world. as the exporta-
tion from Africa and India in 1899
amounted to nearly 400, 600, 900 pounds,
OF which 292. 900, 600 pounds went to
Marseilles for conversion into oil.
The largest part Of the American crop
is sold by street venders, but small
amounts are used by confectioners, choc-
olate manufacturers and for the manu-
faoture Of oil Peanut oil is used for
lubricatiDg and soapmaking and Is a
good substitute for olive oil for salads
aud 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
highly valued cattle food IN the conn
tries Of Europe and is also ground into
fine hour and used as human food. Il
makes good soup, griddle cakes, NUT
Ems, etc, and is one Of the most nutri-
tive Of foods. The vines, when dried,
become a very nutritive hay, readily
eaten by stock, though requiring care in
the feeding lest il produce collie.
The present uses Of the peanut and its
products are likely to be greatly extend
ed and new channels of utility found
for It, as has been the case with cotton
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
States in 1889 was I7.o bushels per
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 so or go bushels as
an average crop. and 100 bushels are not
an uncommon yield.
While the peanut has been cultivated
in the United States to q limited extent
for a number Of years, IL is only sinos
1866 that the crop has become Of pri-
mary importance II the eastern section
Of this country, which seems peculiarly
adapted to its production. Between 1895
and 1870 therapid spread Of the culture
Of peanuts was phenomenal. Each year
doubled and at times increased three
fold its crop over that Of the preceding
year, 90 that this country, from being q
large importer Of west African nuts,
was soon able to supply the domestic
demand with the home raised article.
Virginia, North Carolina and Tennes-
soc produce large part Of the peanut
crop Of the United States. Within the
last few years tliis crop has ceased to be
as profitable as heretofore. The method
J Of culture-the annual planting Of nuts
, ON the same land, the lack Of proper FO-
tation Of crops, the complete removal Of
all VeeesGtion from the land and the fall
ure % replenish the soil BY means Of
fertilizers--has been a great factor in
reducing the profits Of the crop by re-
duoing the ability Of the land to pro-
duce such crops as were previously So
cured In that section. 80 that now in
stead Of an average Of 90 bushels per
acre, With frequent yields of over 100
bushels, che average In tho peanut SEQ
tions is not over 90 bushels, while the
cost Of cultivation has been but slightly
reduced.
Asregards food value. peanut kernels,
with an average of 80 per cent Of pro
tein, 40 per cent Of fat and ~ per cent
Of carbohydrates ia the dry material,
take q high rank and should bo classed
with such concentrated foods as SOFA
beans. cotton seed, eto- The vines arc
shown by analysis TO bo superior 70
timothy hay as a feeding stun and but
slightly inferior to clover hay.
The ground bulls arc used 10 a oOn-
/ siderable extent a. = coarse fodder Ia
European countries Peanut meal. the
ground residue from oil extraction. A. 4
valuable feeding stun highly appTeOiat-
Cd and extensively used n foreign ooun.
tries. It contains, as the averages q
over 1000 analyses show, about 81 paI
cent Of protein, 8 Per cent Of fat and ~
pnr cent Of carboh ydrntes and is one o'
the most onceDhaied feeding stun.
with which We are familinr, ranking
with oottOnaoad meal, linseed meal. eto.
aud 81 some ca1os ahead Of them.
in describing tho uses Of peanuts Il Il
scarcely necessary 10 more than refer q
The use to which fully three-foprths q
ths American raised crop is devoted
The nut ID sorted In the factory int
four grades, the first, neoond and thirt
being sold 10 yonders Of the roasted pea
nut either directly or through iobbers
while the fourth is sold to confootionerl
70 b used In the making Of burnt
almonds. peanut candy and tho cheap
or grades Of chocolates. The oAiout d
the use Of the peanut BY the American
people wiz be more fully nppreoiafoS
when Il % remembered that they u6I
1000, 900 bushels Of nuts yearly. At
cost To the consumers OF 4iO, 900, 600
which do not form q part Of the regula
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