The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-01-22
REAL VALUE
OF NUT FOOD
INVESTIGATED BY THE DE-
PARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.
The Varieties Most Commonly Seen
in This Country--Composition of
the Various Kinds-Are Nuts In
digestiblep-The Misnamed Peanut
and It's Many Uses.


The yearbook of the department OF
agriculture contains the results of
number of experiments made during
the past year with a view to determin-
ing the food value of nuts. They do
not sustain the claim that nuts are
full OF nutrition. The following state
rents. concerning the general charac-
teristics of the nuts commonly eaten
in this country are chiefly taken from
the report of the studies at the Maine
station:
The almond is a favorte dessert nut
in this country. BY far the larger
part of the almonds consumed is sup
piled by France. Italy and Spain. Cali
fornia, however, has grown the al
rlond successfully, and the output of
this crop is annually increasing.
The Brazil nut, as its name indi-
Gates, Is a native of Brazil, whence ii
is exported in large quantities. 1t has
not been successfully grown In the
United States. Ii is chiefly used as a
dessert nut.
The filberts found in our markets
are chiefly varieties and crosses of
two species. The native hazels are
smaller than the European nuts. but
have an agreeable flavor. The fill
bert Is chiefly used as dessert nut.
but the ground nut Is sometimes used
for confectionery and in other ways.
In some European countries where 1t
grows abundantly, a sort Of bread is
made from the ground nut.
THE HICKORY NUT.
The hickory nut. under which gen
eral name are included the nuts of
several species of native trees, Of
which the shagbark is the most Hm-
portant. is one of our best-known
nuts. The quality Of the hickory nut
Is exceedingly variable, both in flavor
and in the readiness with which the
shell may be removed. The better
varieties are highly esteemed. and by
many are considered TO compare
favorably in delicacy of favor with
the English walnut. Large quanti-
ties of the nuts are eaten, and they
are sometimes used in making cakes
and confectionery. There is some con-
fusion regarding the name of this
nut. In some regions of New Eng
land ii is known as the walnut, while
the nut more generally known in the
United States as the walnut. which
grows only sparingly in New England
Is designated the black walnut.
The pecan is also native of Amcr-
ca, but is less widely distributed than
The hickory, to which it is closely re-
lated. The flavor of the pecan makes
il n desirable nut, but ii doubtless
owes much of its popularity to It's
Lhin shell and The ease with which the
kernel may be removed. 1t is largely
used as "a dessert nut.
The English, or more properly, Per-
sian walnut, has been successfully
cultivated in several regions Of the
United states. 1t is of Asiatic ortein,
but owing to its general excellence,
| II early won it's way to popular favor,
| reaching England about the middle Of
| the sixteenth century. II is favorite
| dessert nut, and Is also used by con-
| fectioners in many ways.
THE COMMON WALNUT.
What is most generally known as
| the walnut in the United States is a
| large nut. rich in oil, and has
| strongly marked flavor This nut is
| somewhat used by confcctioners. The
| butternut, oil nut or white walnut, IS
extremely oily and has II tendency to
| become rancid. The fresh nut has an
excellent Havor. 1t is less commonly
| marketed than some other native nuts.
| The beech nut is the fruit Of forest
| tree common in the eastern half of the
| United States. The nuts are sweet
| and of very agreeable flavor Owing
| to their small size and the consequent
| difficulty Of gathering them, only Il
| limited amount reaches the market.
| The pistachio although native of
| Syria, has long been cultivated in
| southern Europe. whence most Of the
nuts eaten in this country are OBJ
| tained. II has been grown to a linz
| itcd extent in the United States. The
| kernel is greenish in color and has Il
| mild, pleasant and characteristic na-
| vor. suggestive of almonds. 1t is
| chiefly used in The manufacture Of
| confectionery, ices, etc, being valued
| for it's flavor and the delicate green
| color which it imparts
Although the cocoanut is native ot
| the tropics, it has been successfully
grown in Florida. Only the mature
nuts commonly find their way into
market, though the fruit Of the green
nut is much relished, where it is avail
able. Large quantities of the dried
and grated nut are consumed.
In many regions OF the west and
southwest, several varieties of pine
| nut are eaten,
THE PEANUT
One of the fruits most commonly
eaten in the United States under the
name of nut is the peanut. Strictly
| speaking, this Is not q nut, but the
fruit of a leguminous plant closely ra-
lated 20 the pea or bean. Probably
| three-fOWts of the peanuts eaten are
roasted. Part Of the cheaper grades
are used by confeCtioncrs for making
salted peanuts and various forms OF
peanut candy, etc. \ sweet and pail
atable oil can be made from the pea
| nut.
1t is pointed out by the Maine sta
ton that from fifty to sixty per cent.
of the nuts most commonly eaten (aI-
mOnds, Erazil nuts, hlberts, hickory
nuts, pecans and walnuts) is shell
The protein is fairly high, but fat con-
stitutes the largest part of the edible
portion. The carbohydrates, which
usually occur in large proportion IN
vegetable foods, are present I'm only
small amounts. The chestnut Is an
exception, containing, as it does, near
ly forty per cent. carbohydrates. The
percentage in cocoanuts, acorns and
litchi nuts is also fairly high. The
meat of nuts, excepting those last
mentioned, contains nearly fifty times
as much fat and less than one-fiftf
as much carbohydrates as wheat
-four, and has about double the fue
value. "A pound of unshelled nuts
viii furnish about half as much pro.