Perth Amboy evening news., 1903-12-10
PEANUTS OF VIRGINIA.
Great Crop of Tidevvater Count cs
of Old Observation-Disclosures
OF the Goobcr.

The peanut counties of Virginia are
the tidewater one2 Of Surry, Isle of
Wight, Nanscmond and Southampton;
and these four counties probably pro-
duce more peanuts than any other area
Of equal size in the world, says the
Southern Workman. In ~Smithfeld, Isle
of Wight county, an historic little town,
remote from the ra~ilway.-is to be found
the largest peanut factory in existence
owned by n company, and the head Of
the firm, Mr.. p. d. Gwsltney, is known
as the peanut king of the world" The
yearly output of this establishment
averages $4,000 bags Of peanuts, valued
at 81 500 900. They are shipped by boat
to Norfolk, which is the largest market
for this product in the United Stetes.
This country furnishes about 100, 000,-
600 pounds of peanuts yearly, which is
one-siXth Of the entire crop of the world.
Small quantities Of peanuts are raised in
a number Of other counties in Virginia,
and the industry has attained consider
able importance in North and South Car
DINA and in east Tennessee.
The home of the peanut or ground
pea (also often called pindar and geo
ber) is believed to be Brazil, although it
very soon spread to Africa, China, ia
pan and India, and was recognized as a
valuable agricultural product in these
countries long before it was cultivated
or a large scale in its native soil, which
was not until the year 1870. In the old
world, however, it has always been
planted and harvested for the sake of
the oil that it yields; this is said to rival
olive oil in quality and to be used for
the same purposes. The nuts raised in
American varieties.
The most popular of the American peo-
nuts IS the Virginia running variety"
1t is a leguminous plant having leaves
resembling those of the alfalfa, but
borne on wide spreading branches which
Srow fat on the ground. The blossom is
bright yellow and is formed at the end Of
a long tube having the ovary at its base.
After the flower has fallen its stalk
elongates and bends downward, push
ing its way several inches into the
ground. Here the ovary enlarges and de-
velops into the ~well-known pod. The
pod and nut of the Virginia variety arc
twice as large as those of the North Car
DINA or African peanut. The Spanish
nuts, usually sold only after being
shelled ard sailed, are still smaller, but
of excellent flavor. Tennessee has two
varieties called the white and the red,
the kernels Of the latter having a dark
red skin.
Smithfeld and the country surround
ing it may be regarded as typical of the
peanut section. Heramany farms of from
so to 100 acres are given up to peanut
culture. AS the American trade de-
mands a b~right-colored shell and the
pod takes on the color of tho ground in
which it grows the soil necessary for
the most marketable nuts is a light,
sandy loan. Lime is an essential in
gredient and when lacking is often sup
piled by applying burned oyster shells.
The soil must be Kept light and friabie
or the ovary cannot bury itself and de-
yelop into a POD. On the Smithfeld
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
ows from two and a half to three feet
apart, the plants in the rows having ar
average distance Of - to Is inches. To
insure o large yield thorough cultivation
is necessary; and by the last CT July the
fields are covered with delicate green
leaves and yellow blossoms.
Thepods mature by the middle Of Octo-
Der, when the harvesting season begins.
and continues for about a month. Frost
is fatal to both vines anc nuts, which
must therefore be Il of the ground be-
fore there is danger from this source