The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-08-12

r
4 Of the Southern states has II ever
Iheen a crop of real Importance, Nor
\ folk is the centre OF the peanut trade
4 III America III Virginia ~ 100, nc
! cordins to the reference book, oven
4 10000 acres were planted to- this
\ crop, which netted 3,7i3.34T bushels
valued IT sa,261.l4S, southampton
| Nansemond, Isle of Wight, Sussex and
4 Prince George supplied 16 per cent OF
the total acreage. Over 1900 Vir-
ginia farmers raised peanuts for the
market 1900, or nearly seven per
cent OF the total number In the state.
4 Further, the figures show an increase
of nearly 100 per cent. In acreage and
over 200 per cent in production in the
decade between 1890 and 1900.
1mpovcrishment of land. however.
ton has tended to diminish the yield,
Instead OF averaging so to 100 bushels
an acre. as he might do Under ia
rorable circumstances, the Virginia far.
liltT oilen HIS 10 DE content With an
average of 20. Nor does the Virginia
output play very large part in the
worlds total supply. Virginia raised
some So,O00,000 pounds OF peanuts In
1900. The total supply approaches eo0,-
100000. Africa and India exported to
Europe in 1900 nearly 100000
pounds. 222,oooooo pounds passing
through The port of Marscilles alone.
The United States is at present an
importer of peanuts, and there is
home market for several millions Of
bushels more than the country is now
producing.
Peanuts are much more useful than
their prominence on such purely orna-
mental occasions as an annual circus
day might indicate. They figure large
~ in most OF the olive oil' that comes
into the United States. Peanuts fur
nish from one-third to one-h half their
Kernel weight in oil. The OF is
good illuminant and a fair lubricant.
1t: was in large demand among South
ern housewives during the war as
for bread and pastry, The
cake" left after the oil has been
pressed out makes an excellent feed
for cattle. In Germany, where IT is
so used to a large extent, it brings
$50 to $50 a ton in the market Nearer
home, the value of peanuts as an ar
ticle of food has long been amply
demonstrated by the famous porkers
OF Smithfeld
Professor Jafa's notable. tribute
should give the goober a new and
added Importance among our farmers.
Virginia is already the principal pro-
Queer of peanuts in America, but there
seems no reason to doubt that her
present output could be doubled to
advantage
a "MERE WALL. STREET AFFAIR"
Some of the New York newspapers
are reported to be closely allied with
Wall street interests, and their COM
political measures that affect them are
taken with grain OF salt. But the
Herald is not among the number. It
is newspaper, and deals with such
conditions as 1t finds them. 1t is
usually conservative, and never hys-
terical. In its comments on the de-
moralzation in the stock market, it
says:
The situation in the stock market
is one which will now have to run its
course. In the end the credit Of the
corporation attacked will be affected.
1t Is a short distance from that con.
dition to the workmen and their earn
ing capacity per diem.
This is in keeping with the observa-
tons of The Times-Dispatcl The
business interests OF this country are
closely allied, and what affects one in
terest must sooner or later affect all
interests. War on tbs railroads has
already affected their credit. When
their. credit is injured, their opera :
tions are necessarily curtailed. Up to
the present time only the stockhold-
ers have felt tho pinch, but when the
railroads begin to lay off their
hands and cancel their orders
for supplies, others will be affected
AS the Herald says, It is but short
distance from one condition to the
other. War means destruction. The
country cannot make relentless war
on its great industries and destroy
their credit without disastrous con-
sequences The people will realize
after while that the slaughter OF
securities in the stock market is not
merely a Wall Street affair"
THE FARMERS INSTITUTE.
The fourth annual meeting Of the
| Farmers Institute of Virginia will be
held in the city of Roanoke on August