Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1899-07-26

'The American people are evidently
very partial to peanuts" remarked q
large peanut planter in Virginia to the
writer recently, 'for there are nearly
4,OOO.OO bushels of them consumed In
the United States annually. Before the
civil war the peanut was only holiday
luxury to the majority Of the people Nv
ing In the North, the day when the cir
Gus was in town. during the country
fair and the great and glorious Fourth
Of July being the principal occasions
that the popular yearning for the nut
was In any measure satisfied. The
product then amounted to barely
SOC. 900 bushels a year.
AT the close Of the war when the
soldiers returned north thousands OF
them had cultivated such q liking Tor
the nut, which they had often pulled
from the ground and roasted at their
campfres while in Virginia, Tennessee
and North Carolina, that the crop then
raised In these States didn't begin to
supply the demand. Wideawake farm
ers saw the point, and small garden
patches where peanuts had been grown
for generations were soon abandoned
for broad fields. and to-day Virginia
and North Carolina are growing 1000
900 bushels Of peanuts a year-a result
due almost entirely to the civil war
and the habit the Federal troops con
tracted Of eating large quantities OF
the nuts. Naturally, the returned sol
diers' demand for peanuts placed them
within reach Of the rural populatao0
In the North, ana the nut soon ceased
to be a holiday luxury.
when the war broke out most Of
the peanuts consumed in this country
were raised in North Carolina A great
many were also imported from Africa.
They were Of inferior quality. In fact,
the best antebellum peanuts were poor
compared with the nuts grown to-day.
But the demand for the nuts In recent
ing the North Carolina product or in
creasing its yield to any great extent
Virginia and Tennessee, however. woke
right up under the increased demand,
and improved cultivation has produced
nut especially In Virginia, that is as
near perfect as II can be.
81 don't suppose there are many peo.
ole who know that the peanut came to
this country with the first cargo OF
slaves that were landed on or shores
It is a native Of Africa, and in It's orig
lnal state as full Of grease almost as q
bit Of pork. Cultivation and change
Of soil have greatly reduced the oleas
inous quality Of the nut, although ths
North Carolina variety has enough
grease yet to find Q ready sale IN
France. where It Joins its African an
cestor and cottonseed in supplying no,
q little Of the olive oil we find in the
restaurants and family groceries. Nor
folk, Va. is the greatest peanut center
In the world, and handles annually
200, 900 bags, or 5000, 900 bushels.
ut is a pretty sight to see a peanut
plantation when the vines are In bios
som. The blossoms are a bright vel
low and the vines are a vivid green
As soon as the blossom appears a fin.
branch forms on the vino and shoot!
down into the ground. The peas. al
the nuts are called on the plantation
form on the shoot beneath the ground
ike potatoes. When the crop is gath
.red in October the vine is ploughet
up. and the nuts hang to the roots
Vines and all are piled in cocks in tn,
field. and in twenty days the nuts ar
ready to be pulled OF, placed in bag
and taken to the factories. There they
are cleansed Of dirt, assorted, polished
IN revolving cylinders and put int.
bags ready for the market"