Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-11-21
PEANUTS OF VIRGINIA
GREAT CROP OF TIDEWATEE
COUNTIES OF OLD DOMINION.
Habits of the Goober-Soil It Likes
Ways of Planting-The
Harvest,

FROM the southern Workman.
The peanut counties of Virginia are the
| tidewater ones OF Surry, Isle of Wight.
Nansemond and Southampton; and these
four counties probably produce more pea
nuts than any other area of equal size in
the world. In Smitllaeld. Isle of Wight
county-an historic little town, remote from
the railways to be found the largest pea
nut factory in existence owned by one COM
pany. and the head Of the firm. Mr.. P. d.
Gwaltney, is known as the peanut king OF
the world" The yearly output Of this es-
adjustment averages 100000 bags OF pea
nuts. valued at 81 100000. They are ship
ped by boat to Norfolk. which is the largest
| market for this product In the United
States. This country furnishes about one
hundred million pounds Of peanuts yearly.
which Is one,sixth of the entire crop Of the
world. Small quantities of peanuts are
raised IN number Of other counties in Vir-
ginia. and the industry has attained con.sid-
cradle Importance In North and South Car
DINA and in east Tennessee.
Home Of the Peanut.
The home of the peanut or ground pea
(also often called pindar and goober) Is be-
Eeved to be Brazil, although 1t very soon
spread to Africa, China, Japan and India,
and was recognized as valuable agrfcul-
tural products in these countries long before
| It was cultivated on a large scale in it's ma
tive soil. which was not until the year 1870.
| In the old world, however, 1t has always
been planted and harvested for the sake Of
the Oil that 1t yields; this is said to rival
same purposes. The nuts raised in the east
are far richer in Oil than the American va
rfeties.
The most popular of the American pea
nuts Is the Virginia running variety" It
| is a leguminous plant having leaves resem-
bling those of the alfalfa, but borne on
wide-spreading branches which grow hat on
the ground. The blossom Is bright yellow
having the ovary at it's base. After the
mower has fallen Its stalk elongates and
bends downward, pushing it's way several
| inches into the ground Here the ovary
pod. The pod and nut of the Virginia va
| rfety are twice as large as those of the
North Carolina or African peanut The
Spanish nuts, usually sold only after being
shelled and salted are still smaller. but of
| excellent flavor. Tennessee has two va
r1eties called the white and the red, the
kernels OF the latter having a dark-red
skim
Peanut Land
Smithfeld and the country surrounding 1t
may be regarded as typical of the peanut
section. Here many farms Of from fifty
to one hundred acres are given up to pea
nut culture. AS the American trade de-
mands bright-colored shell and the pod
takes on the color of the ground in which
1t grows the soil necessary for the most
| marketable nuts is light. sandy loan.
Lime Is an essential ingredient and when
lacking is often supplied by applying burn
ed oyster shells. The soil must be kept
light and friable or the ovary cannot bury
itself and develop into pod. On the
Smithfield farms and others in eastern
Virginia the seed Is put into the ground
early in May, the kernels being planted
with the skins on; two bushels Of nuts in
the pod are required to sow one acre. The
Virginia running variety is usually planted
In rows from two and half to three feet
apart, the plants in the rows having an
average distance of twelve to fifteen inches.
To insure large yield thorough cultivation
is necessary; and by the last of July the
fields covered with delicate green leaves
and yellow blossoms.
The pods mature by the middle of Octo-
ber when the harvesting season begins, and
continues for about month Frost Is fatal
to both vines and nuts, which must there
fore be out of the ground before there is
danger from this source.