The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-02-09
THINGS I00I BIZ
FOR PEANUT BELT
Hungarian Farmers All Is Give Up the
Fight=and Move West.
KILL Ian D FOR OTHER CROPS
Indications Are That Not More Than One>
Half the Amount of Peanuts viii Be
Raised Another Year-Should Bring
Much Greater Prize.

"a Much Greater Price.
Especial Dispatch to Tie Times)
PETERSBURG, VA; Feb. s.-Twenty-
four Bohemian farmers, near Petersburg
in Prince George Chesterfield and I:n-
wi0dic counties, whose main crop is pea
nuts, will leave for Western States this
spring. carrying their families with them.
Many Of the native farmers in the peanut
belt declare their intention licvcr TO plant
peanuts again. This exodus of the for
ciSn farmers and resolve by the native
farmers is doubtless the5"nloSt evident
proof that peanuts cannot be raised at
the prices that have prevailed forLhe past
few years-ahout IS cents per bushel.
The Bohemians are industrious, thrifty
people. Their homes lack the comforts
of natives and their watchWord is ''econo-
! my They never so to the homes OF
natives, and do not expect natives 10
visit them. Every member of the family
works, both male and female, ;l,:.i many
families work seven days to the week:
Children Of both sexes are put to work
by the time they can walk The WON en-
Of the family are the transfers. making
u:ost of the trips to the cities with the
i1oduce They ploW, work with the hoe
and help the men with Whatever else
there IS to be done on the farm.
PEANUTS DESTROY LAND.
These people cannot live by making pea
nuts for Is cents per bushel. When they
take charge of a farm it is usually one
OH which peanuts have been cultivated
by Virginians. No crop is SO damaging
TO Land as peanuts. To increase the yield
fertilizers have been used, and like.
stimulant to the human system leaves the
soil in a worse condition. than it was be-
fore its use.
When tho prices of corn, wheat, meat
and other provisions We're low the farm
ers in the peanut belt left off raising
everything but peanuts, and now when
the prices OF everything else have IN
creased. and the prices of peanuts fallen,
the farmers would return to their crops
of corn and wheat, but their lanos have
been so Impoverished that it will not
grow them, and fields that produced 1or-
ty and fifty bushels of corn TO the
acre are now left for the growth Of broom
straw and pines, because they will not
grow more than five or ten bushels OF
corn to the acre.
The farmers in this section grow poorer
every year. Handsome arte-bellum homes
are seen crumbling at every hand and
dwelling that costs five or six thousand
dollars to build, il destroyed by FIRE. IS
replaced by a, ee-hundred-dollar nut
and in some cases after. such destruction
the former kitchen serves for the. man
sion.
NOT PKoFITABLE.
In all tho qualifications of the peanut
business no money has been made out OF
it in Virginia. - The speculators profits OF
one year are Wiped out by the losses OF
another Commission merchants cannot
handle them exclusively. and make a. liv-
ing. 1t costs many farmers from % cents
to 81 a bushel to. raise a productffor winch
they get IS cents.
The lands in Prince George Surry and
Sussex are exceedingly we'll adapted to
raising bright tobacco, the soil being SINH
lar to that Of Wilson and Edgeconlb coun-
ties; in North Carolina. If tho farmers
in the counties around Petersburg had
planted tobacco this year instead: OF pea
nuts, they would have made double and in
many. cases five times as much as they
did,. there being an unusual demand iol
bright tobacco this year. To this demand
| is due the very high prices OF plugs which
| have been used as a substitute for bright
| fue-cured tobacco on account OF its scar
| city.
| Impoverished from peanuts that nothing
| else can he grown, and even peanuts will
| not yield unless fertilizer is used, and the
| cost of this consumes all profits:
Farmers are leaving the. country and
going to the cities seeking employment.
They argue that if their friends, the Eo-
hemians, give up the task, it is useless
| for them to hope longer, especially since
/ labor for the farm cannot be had except
| at prices far in excess of its value
THE CROP WILL BE SMALLER.
! Indications are that the peanut crop
| next year will be smaller than It, has
| been for many years. What the annual
Weld Of peanuts is cannot be accurately
| ascertaincd The shelters and the CLEAN
/ ers are the only ones from whom this IN
| formation could be secured, and the
| iealously among them precludes all posi-
bility of finding out whether the annual
| weld is four million or seven million bush
! els Of peanuts AS to the value of pea
| nuts it would seem that prices far IN ad-
vance Of those now obtained could be SC
I-cured for: this product
l. An ounce of peanuts contains food prop
critics equivalent to three ounces Of beef,
| and the oil extracted from the nuts is
| euual to the finest olive oil. They are
! used for the same purposes as fllherts
| and almonds and all other fruits III CANDY
| making. and tho food properties OF 4
| Mound of peanuts is equal to those OF q
| mound of almonds and the peanuts bring
about four and a half cents per pound
! for sfelled nuts: while the almonds are
/ solo. for abouttforty cent
! What will be the result of this move
! mention the part Of the farmers cannot be
| foretold. Ii would seem TO Indicate, how
/ ever, that those who continue the plant
ing of peanuts may hope for better prices