The Mena weekly star., 1908-02-20
The Profitable Peanut.

AuC iuAibobAS NohANs
 While many people have been familiar with the peanut, or goober pea, for many years, yet it seems to be fact that the American peo- pie are just coming to realize some thing of its real value and many merits.
 Some botanists try to trace the first knowledge of the peanut to China, but it is generally thought to be native of Brazil, and is, there fore, one of the great articles of commerce. having their origin in America, namely: Indian corn, po- tatoes, cotton, tobacco, goobers and the turkey, all of which have been a great blessing to mankind, except tobacco, which has been an incalcu- liable curse.
 In former years the use of the peanut was mainly confined to the southern states, but when the Yan- kees got taste of them during the Civil war, demand was created for them which has continually growni and is today in advance of the sup ply.
 The peanut belongs to the same family as clover and COW peas, and is, therefore, soil improver rather than an impovisher. This being true the goober ought to receive more attention in this section o1 the country. Land that will moi produce more than ten bushels o1 corn per acre and three or foul hundred pounds of fodder, will make from forty to sixty bushels of pea nuts and ton or more of as gooe hay as ever went into a barn.
 There are a number of kinds oi peanuts, but only two that have any great commercial value. There art the large white Virginia and ths little Spanish. The former are usec principally for roasting at peanut stands and the latter for food, con fectionary and oil. For stock foot there is nothing grown on the farm that is better relished by everything from the chicken up, than they are and nothing that is any better foi them. As they come from the fielc they are too dusty and sandy tC feed to horses, but 1 first run then through a feed cutter, with the nuts on the vines, and then screen them with a sand screen. For feed the Spanish are the superior of all others; the vines being finer and softer and the nuts being richer.
 As an article of food, the goober is receiving much attention; and we'll it deserves to, for it is worthy of place on every table. Facto- ries for the preparation of peanuts for the markets are becoming quite common, and peanut butter is now to be found in many grocery stores.
 But every one can make their own nut butter just as we'll as the factory can. Our way is to hull out the nuts and then roast them, taking care not to get them too brown, then blanch them, that is take off the skins. This is easily and quick ly done by putting them in sack and rubbing them on board. Blow out the chaff, and they are ready for the mill. Any kind of a meat chopper that has plate for grinding nuts is all that is needed, and as soon as they are ground through you have nut butter. As it comes from the mill it is too sticky to be eaten easily, but all that is necessary is to add little salt and thin with water to any disired con sistency. There are many prepara- tions that can be made with nut but ter as basis, one of which I will give: Take two and one-half cups of strong coffee, made from cereal coffee, (postum is good). two cups of nut butter, one cup of corn starch and one teaspoonful of salt; combine the ingredients by mixing corn starch, nut butter and salt first then put in the coffee by adding a little at time, and mixing until smooth. Put into a can or dish with tight fitting cover, and cook in a closed steamer or kettle for from four to five hours. The conteuls