The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1905-12-22
The Sweet Potato and the Mule Crops
Are Profitable.

Among the interesting features Of
the South that strike the Northern
man are the crops that are new to
him. OF course cotton is prince of
these things, but the list contains
many others thar are novelties. In
Virginia and North Carolina enormous
quantities Of peanuts are grown. The
peanut, which Is also called a ground
pea in some sections, a goober in 9TH
ers. a plnder in Florida and a ground
nut In other places. is as cosmopolitan
almost a, American civilization. 1t is
a small town that does not have a pea.
nut stand, and where the town is too
small to have a peanut emporium de.
voted chiefly 10 the sale OF peanuts,
the cross roads general store keeps
them as a staple along with flour and
calico. Peanuts are as good as wheat
for money.
You all know them. 1t IS useless to
waste space advertising the peanut.
What had in mind to say is that
in this State the peanut is raised, and
q visit to a peanut field awakens some.
thing Of the same sentiment as the
first glimpse OF Mount Vernon, or the
dome of the Capitol in Washington. 1t
is the discovery of a historic and ira
ditional American spot. To climb over
q rail fence and drop down for the
first time on a crop Of growing COOLERS
is to stand face to face the first time
with a great American institution in
its own shrine.
The peanut is a curious creature. It
looks somewhat like clover as II
grows in the ned. AS 1t gets ready to
bear fruit the blossoms are put forth
on stems of some length, and these
stems bend down to the ground. and
finally burrow beneath the surface.
The fruit is then developed in
the soil, much as potatoes are, but
from a blossom formed in the air:
The peanut is something of a Jest
with the men who make the funny pa.
pers, but am q friend Of the peanut,
and am glad to come to its defense. 1t
is no Joke when you know that the
peanut brings two million dollars q
year to the North Carolina farmer. The
peanut crop of the United States is
worth more than the beat sugar crop,
and the peanut asks no Congression'
al favors, and makes no fuss about It.
The peanut crop of the country is
worth more than the buckwheat crop.
and that is no joke either.
Sweet potatoes are staple on tie
bill of fare in the South. North Caro-
lima raises over two million dollars
worth of them each year, and leads all
the other States in their production.
The sweet potato, as it is taken fresh
from the field In the South, is different
from the sweet potato that is bought
at the grocery of the North. That is
why the Southc sner looks for his sweet
potato at nearly every meal. A wide
variety Of them is grown, and it is in
teresting to watch their development.
Some kinds grow to an enormous size.
In my fields last summer the colored
field hands found one that was trifie
over a yard long. or course the man
at the North who reads this will give
me credit for being an uncommonly
bold liar, but 1 am far enough away
not to feel worried about that part Of
it.
Sweet potatoes are planted from
slips set like cabbage and tomato
plants. They make good food for the
table and for the barn. Even the tops
OF the sweet potato are gathered and
saved for hay, as the tops of the pea
nuts are, and both are of more than
ordinary value as stock feed. Peanuts
are good for chickens, for hogs and for
cattle. Sweet potatoes are good for
everything on the place.
Another pretty good crop exclusive
In the South, and used all over the
for food is rice. The value of
the rice crop is eight or ten millions
a year, the bulk OF the money in this
case going to Louisiana. North Caro-
lima manages to pull about quarter Of
A million out of her rice fields, and
South Carolina does i've or six times
that much, but the principal seat Of
the industry now is Louisiana.
Rice requires low grounds for its
culture. It is sewn like wheat, and
As soon as It is up the ground is flood
ed. When it i2 about ready to ripen
he water is drawn on and the ground
permitted to dry. They the crop IS
harvested with a reaper, after the
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