Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1897-10-28
PEANUTS INVALUABLE.
FEW PRODUCTS OF THE SOIL PUT
TO MORE USES.
1t Is Known by Greater Variety of Names
Than Any Other Edible That is So
Universally Popular-Masquerades as
Olive Oil-Three Varieties Grown Here

peanut crop of the United States is
going to be short this year. But this
does not mean that the supply will not
be sufficient to satisfy Uncle Sans
small boys; for peanuts are raised in
many countries besides our own, and
the cost of importation is not great
enough to increase the price mate
rally.
This particular product of the
earth is known in the United States
by greater variety of names, per-
haps, than any other that is so uni
versally popular. In various parts of
the South it is the ground nut" the
ground pea," the ''goober" (some-
times spelled "gouber'') and the ''pin-
dar." Over in England it is often
called the ''monkey nut" and this
leads to the inference that in Africa
and South Africa, where it grows wild,
its edible quality first became known
to man because the monkey fed on it.
One of its names all over Europe is
the ''manilla NUT" and this comes,
no doubt, from the fact that it is ex-
tensiyely grown in the Philippine
ioIttlNlos LII L iuhCC ~ Is tl6 DlS-
tache de terre," from its similarity to
the pistachio nut in taste and the uses
to which it may be put.
The seeds are put in the ground in
May, late enough to avoid the latest
frosts. Until few years ago peanuts
were planted by hand, but now q ma
chine is generally used which places
them in rows three feet apart, dis
tributes the phosphate which is almost
always used as fertilizer, drops the
beans" as the seeds are often called,
in groups Of three, covers them with
two inches of soil and rolls the earth
firmly-ell in one operation. The cul-
tivation of the peanut crop is very
similar to the cultivation of potatoes,
both the "cultivator," hauled by a
horse or mule, and the hoe being used.
Late in July top dressing of land
plaster is applied.
The vines of the peanut begin to
bloom when they are eight or ten
inches long, the blossoms being of
bright yellow color and very .s.ofuse.
The flowers, however, are sterile; that
is, they are not followed by seeds, as
are the blossoms of most plants, even
the potato, which, like the peanut, de-
velops the edible product beneath the
surface of the soil. Nature is extreme
ly interesting in her method of provid-
ing for the propagation of the peanut.
AS the flower fades, sharp pointed
stem grows out from the base of the
plant, turns downward and buries it
self in the ground. On the end of this
stem are formed the pods, or "nuts,"
some little distance underground, and
the plant needs no human attention
whatever from the time of this pod
formation till it is ready for harvest
ing.
The harvesting takes place late in
October or early in November. Care
is always exercised to get this work
out of the way before frost comes,
though if possible it is put off until
just before the first visit of the icy
breathed visitor from the north. For
merly peanuts were taken out of the
ground by hand, somewhat after the
manner in which potatoes are har-
vested; but progressive peanut growers
now use pillow with peanut point"
which is run alongside each row so as
to cut off the deep growing tap root.
After this plow workmen follow with
strong, broad forks, with which they
lift the vines and roots from the ground
and lay them on the ridge of soil that
has been freshly turned by the plow.
For day the pods are allowed to dry
in the sun; then the vines are stacked
for curing, each stack being built
about pole that has been driven into
the ground for that purpose. When
thoroughly cured the nuts are re-
moved from the roots, sometimes by
hand and sometimes by machinery.
The latter is the quicker, more eco
nomical method, but the nuts suffer
from it to some extent, and some
growers who wish to get the highest
prices adhere to the old way of hand
picking. The machines are worked
by steam power, and both in appear
ance and principle are somewhat SINH
lar to the machines used in threshing
wheat.
Besides the machine for picking the
hubo IL oLi VIC fllS5, Stiii ahoohCi Ado
been introduced. 1t is called "the
blower" aud its function is to grade
the nuts and free them from whatever
impurities have been left by the prev
ious process. In this machine the nuts
pass through a very strong artificial
blast, from the force of which the
heaviest are first released, to fall into
the proper receptacle for the first
grade, and so on. By this means about
four grades of nuts are secured; those
of the last grade-the very light ones
being practically worthless, espec-
tally as they are mixed with bits of
roots, broken shells, etc.
Most readers, probably, think pea
nuts are raised solely that they may
be eaten by boys, but this is mis-
taken notion. Few products of the
l. -. e