The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-03-20
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I~ have risen in price higher than
they have been in a great many
IE1{tSl years. This may not seem import
- ant but when it is taken into
consideration that peanuts are one of the
largest commodities that come from the
South and that the demand for them is
greatly increa sing. the rise in price means
very much TO the merchants that deal in
them. IL is also asserted that the peanuts
have not reached the top price yet and that
they are likely to jump another notch at
most any time.
For this reason many local dealers are
laying in their supplies of them at in
creased figure over last year. though they
fear an additional cens. maybe two. will
be attached to the already high price and
they will be compelled TO pay still more for
them.
The wholesale groceTs and candy manu-
faoturers are the largest purchasers of
peanuts in indianapolis and they buy about
a hundred carloads a year of them. 1t is
said that this very we'll represents what n
great demand there is for peanuts, because
this city buys no more of them in proper
ton than hundreds of other places. The
average car that comes into the local mar
ket contains about 200 bags of peanuts.
which represent 1900 pounds Twenty
thousand bags come to this city each year.
which makes 2. 10000 pounds of these lit
tie nuts brought to the local market.
1t is generally supposed that the only
time people eat peanuts is when they go
to circus to the State fair, but this
Is not true They are a staple nut and
some people buy their regular allowance
every day Again. there are thousands of
pounds OF peanuts mixed with salt and
sold i'm this. manner Many people very
fond OF them fixed this way and are contin-
ually eating them. Sailed peanuts par
ticulariy popular among men and there
are quite a number in this city who buy
their sailed peanuts every day regularly
as they do cigars. Peanut butter is an
other product which is made from the nuts
and many thousand pounds are consumed
IN this way. There is also peanut oil. The
candy manufacturers use large quantities
of them in the various kinds of candies
they make.
LIKELY TO ADVANCE FURTHER.
Spanish peanuts. which are the most pop
ular. are now selling to the public at
cents a pound. and hand-picked peanuts
are being sold to the dealers at cents a
pound. There is man in this city who
has placed his order for ten carloads, or
1900 bags. Last year this same man bought
thirty carloads at a time when other mer-
chants were fearful that the prices were
going 10 drop. When this merchant bought
his thirty cars they had risen about cent
q pound The other dealers held OFF from
buying until too late. and then when they
were compelled TO buy TO carry their
the man who had thirty cars sold them
and cleared about $1,000 on the deal. This
same merchant Is again this year buying
up peanuts. although the price has gone
up over what 1t was last year; but as all
indications point TO another rise all the
dealers who are holding of for the market
TO drop Will be compelled to buy as they
were last year. and the man who has been
buying up will make another cleaning.
Peanuts have paid the farmers well. and
there is no doubt that the planters are
learning how to band together to hold
prices. and that is what they doing al
the present time. 1t is. however. thought
that I'm a year or so the supply of peanuts
will be like everything else. and tina. since
the prices have increased TO so great an
extent all of the Southern farmers and
crops. and will have such an extensive sup
ply that il will bring the prices down TO
normal figures. although il is contended
by merchants who are heavy purchasers
OF peanuts that they will never go back
TO the low figures that formerly prevailed.
They say the demand for them is more
than double what IL was a few years ago.
and that IL will be hard matter for the
planters TO produce oversupply. be-
cause there are not near enough peanuts
raised now. AS 10 what has caused this
great increase in prices is uncertain and
each man has his own opinion about it.
Some say that IL Is the boom In cotton,
while others insist that the demand has
grown so rapidly in the last few years and
the planters have not realized the growth
of the popularity OF the peanut, and. there
fore. have put in no larger crops than for
mefly- The consequence is that these
CROPS have been bought up entirely by
few. and there not enough peanuts TO
go round TO the various merchants who deal
In them.
= local Wholesale candy merchant. In