Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1899-12-28
THE PEANUT CROP.


The average annual peanut crop Of
the United States is said to be 1000
700 bushels. Last year the crop Was
short, but the quality was good, and
The demand undated. In consequence
prices advanced from ~ and to
cents per pound for the natural
nuts and from 8 to s cents, and for ex.
ceptional quality even to cents, for
the shelled nuts. This years crop IL
now being harvested, and prices for II
are not yet established, but they are
expected to be lower than last season.
A part Of the crop, while being
"cured" in the fields after being har.
vested, was damaged by rains, which
caused mil lew. In Virginia the crop
IS poor, in North Carolina fairly good,
and in Tennessee extra large. That
there are plenty Of peanuts somewhere
is evidenced by the demand for bags
in which to pack them, which is said
70 exceed the supply. Bags which sold
last year at cents apiece are now
held at w cents. The amount Of
acreage devoted to peanut culture ia
Indicated by the fact that early in the
year the growers were unable to se.
cure enough pulverized plaster to use
Is fertilizer.
There are about twenty peanut fac.
tories in this country, chiefly " Vir.
ginia, North Carolina and Tennessee,
but also including plants in st. Louis,
Cincinnati and Evansville, Ind. The
Western factories handle the bulk Of
The Tennessee crop, and are said to be
operated more profitably than those
in the South. Virginia is the great
distributing point for the main part
IF the supply, and this city is the most
important receiving point, While the
local consumption here is very large,
many shipments are made from this
market to other parts of the country
and to Europe. The natural nuts, in
their final roasted state, reach most Of
the consumers from the street-corner
stands of Italians in the cities and
towns. There is an immense demand
for the shelled nuts, which are used
by every confcctioner; one wholesale
dealer in this city said that his firm
alone had sold over 100000 pounds
of them within the last twelve months
The nuts known as Spanish peanuts,
which have small. round kernels, un.
like those of the more familiar native
variety, are all shelled when placed on
the market, being used exclusively
Tor confectioners' purposes. They
were introduced here from Spain about
1882, and were sold at first as an es
pecially choice grade at from IL ia
Is cents per pound. The seed was
planted in Virginia as a curiosity, but
was found to grow so well there that
the variety was extensively cultivated
and this country's total crop of Span
sh peanuts now averages about $780,,
900 bags, the contents Of bag being
about 40 pounds
"a s,''u'' quantity OF peanuts Is I'M
por,eu mere from Japan ny way OF
California, and last year, because oil
the high prices for the American pro
duct, few were imported from South
Africa by way Of England. The i'm
por's "re 80 s'lsh' however that they
aie ho' l"c'or III the Market Al
PrescnV 'he uu'y Oh peanuts u one
nun ceht per pouho III 'heir nat ara
S,a,e' anu one GEM pere Pouna y
sheiieo' me recent oe'ii"no IN oall
ioriia ior IN increase OF 'he duty "
'nree ceh's per Ponhu ~ calieu pre-
posterous' pu' characteristic OF eail'
iorhiahs' VINO wanted hlgn tarip
paced Oh everything Wh'ch could pos
,s'niy pc raised III 'heW STATE a dealci
saio he oe''eVeo ti"' one 'hihaman
was raising some peanuts somewhere
III ua'l'or''"' ana 'f1t was 'he extern
Vi r,s eroP'
me export OF peanuts from TINS
country Is 'arge al 'he year ro,ind
amounting TO thousands OF bags Ihey
are SEM ch'e"y 10 England ana oer
many, anu some also 10 Mexico al
.nough 'here Us no reason why the lat
ter country shoo'o NOT grow It's own
peu''o's' rop"lar az 'nc NUS are IN
this country Tor eating purposes, they