The San Francisco call., 1906-12-26
.AME RIGA PRODUCES
MANY PEANUTS

BY authoritative estimate, the value
of the peanut crop just harvested is
$40. .000, 900. These days, when we say
millions" SO easily, when in national
enterprise we have expanded to the
hundred and the thousand million or
bit, the mere numerical statement of
the value of the peanut crop sounds
small. Small as it is, however, 10000
600 will buy a great many pint cups of
the crooked, wrinkled little nuts with
the many aliases-more than most of
US care to take the trouble to compute.
Yet the computation Is simple enough.
A pint cup of peanuts for cents, twen-
ty of them for 81 and 100000 times
twenty amounts to 200,000,000. There
you are, The peanut crop for 1906 is
big enough to permit 200, 100000 small
boys-or big boys. for that matter-to
purchase one cup each at the street
corner stand, or from the smart and
strident-voiced young man whose busi-
ness it is to satisfy epicurean desires at
any one of the greatest shows on
EARTH
One who has craving for statistical
calculation can juggle with the small
boy, the circus and the quantity and
value of the peanut crop as it shall
suit him, and whatever curious conclu-
sions he may reach shall be his own
concern. But, all this aside, there are a
few facts in connection with the peanut
that are bound to excite interested at
tention.
The American peanut crop is not the
worlds crop. but 1t is measurably close
to it. AS commercial commodity 1t
commands by far the greater percent
age of the worlds market; and as an
edible, at first hand, it has the field en-
tire1y to itself. The American peanut
is not indigenous to this country. 1t
was imported from Africa with the
African negro. 1t found a home in the
slave holding States Of the South,
where 1T has taken up it's permanent
quarters to their profit. as we may as
sumo, from the annual value of some
millions OF dollars, as already indicated.
It's production is confined to a compare
lively small group of States, the chief
of which is Virginia.; South Carolina.
Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee rank
in the order named.
The value of the crop in these States
is more than three-fourths that of the
entire country. American buyers, as a
matter of fact, furnish the principal
market, although England, France and
Germany are customers whose patron
age is constantly increasing. The
American peanut has been cultivated
away from it's African ancestor. The
latter is smaller and lacks flavor. The
two are sold in the French market, the
American nut to be consumed directly
as luxury, tidbit, confectfon; while
the African nut is manufactured into
pure olive oil for subsequent American
use.
The American taste for the peanut is
a result of the Civil War. The Yankees
found 1t, ate it, liked 1t, and have
been buying it and eating and liking
1t ever since. 1t cannot be said of the
modest peanut that 1t healed sectional
animosity. 1t was, however, among the
likeable things in Dixie, contributing
to urchinal Joy, North and South; help
ing to blunt the raw edge of other
circus humbugs in every part of the
country; and finally taking it's place
among crop products which are honored
by the word millions, when we have
occasion to refer to their value in sum
total.-Portland Oregonian.