Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1896-01-17
THE POTENT PEANUT.
ONE WOULD HARDLY THINK THE
HUMBLE eooBER so IMPORTANT.

FOods-substitute For Olive OIL.
But little is known of the peanut out
side of localities in which it is grown.
and even whsro it is most largely grown
its possibilities are 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
It's sources Of value, the peanut ought to
be one of the most profitable of the gen.
eral farm crops in the south. The fol-
lowing facts about it are in the main
condensed from bulletin of the United
States department of agriculture pre-
pared by r. B. Handy Of the office Of
experiment stations.
The yearly production OF peanuts in
this country is about 1000, 600 bushels
of 80 pounds, tho bulk of the crop being
produced in Virginia, Georgia, Tonnes
see and North Carolina. These 4, ,O00,-
600 bushels, while fully supplying the
present demand of the Unitod 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, 900, 900 pounds,
Of which 222, 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, choo-
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 a
highly valued cattle food in the ooun-
tries of Europe and is also ground into
fine flour and used as human food. 1t
makes good soup, griddle cakes, muf-
fms, 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.
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
seed. With better methods of tillage and
q 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 17.8 bushels per
kl,a iVr fVNfa hnf,
about 90 and in Tennessee 92 bushels
per acre. This appears to bo very low
average, especially as official and semi
official figures give so or 80 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 only since
1866 that the crop has become of pri
mary importance in the eastern section
of this country, which seems peculiarly
adapted to its production. Between 1861
and 1870 the rapid spread Of the culture
Of peanuts was phenomenal Each yeal
doubled and at times increased three
fold its crop over that Of the preceding
year, so that this country, from being {
large importer Of west African nuts
was soon able to supply the domestic
demand with the home raised article.
Virginia, North Carolina and Tennes
SEQ produce large part Of the peanut
crop of the United States. Within the
last few years this crop has ceased to b'
as profitable as heretofore. The method
of culture-the annual planting of nuts
on the same land, the lack Of proper 70
| tation of crops, the complete removal o.
all vegetation from the land and the fail
ure to replenish the soil by means oi
fertilizers--has been a great factor II
reducing the profits Of the crop by re
ducing the ability of the land to pro
duce such crops as were previously SO
cured in that section, so that now in
stead of an average of 80 bushels pei
acre, with frequent yields Of over 10(
bushels, the average in the peanut sec
tions is not over 90 bushels, while tn,
cost Of cultivation has bean but slightly
reduced.
AS regards food value, peanut kernels
with an average of 20 per cent Of pro
tein, 40 per cent of fat and Il per cen
of carbohydrates in the dry material
take high rank and should be ciasseC
with such concentrated foods as sol
beans. cotton seed, etc. The vines ar
shown by analysis to be superior Il
timothy hay as feeding stuff and bu
slightly inferior to clover hay.
The ground hulls are used to con
siderable extent as q coarse fodder il
European countries. Peanut meal, tn
ground residue from oil extraction, is
valuable feeding stuff highly appreciat
Yoa Can Believe
The testimonials published In behal
Of Hoed's sarsaparilla. They ar