The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1910-12-06
One of the Mos Important OF the
Commercial Crops Grown in the

Commercial Crops Grown in the
United States-Steady Increase i'm
(Virginian-PilOt.)
The firm of Holmes & Dawson. cot
ton and peanut factors of this city. and
a recognized authority on peanut sta
~tistics, have issued their annual repOr
of the peanut crop for 1910.
Their report follows:
I'm its present stage Of development
the peanut crop is recognized as one OF
the most important of the commercial
crops grown III the United States.
While it's cultivation in this country Is
confined to a limited area in Virginia,
North Carolina, Tennessee and w
other Southern States, the distribution
and sale Of the crop extends to i'll
parts of his country, as we'll as for
eign countries.
far back as 1898, this firm recos-
nized its Importance to this section and
to the commercial world generally. n
being interested in it's promotion and
further development. and realizing the
value of statistical TO ,he
peanut growers, as Well as the traue
generally, decided to issue what We
have called Annual Reports OF the
Peanut Crop at its maturity, respect
ing the size, creage, yield and cOnui-
ton. These reports have been issued
annually, since that time, ana our re-
port of the present crop OF 1917, Wnlcn
We herewith submit, IS as uSual Daseu
on the information ." our
correspondents, as well as from our
personal observations OF the crops
recently made in a trip through the
peanut belt. AS is the case with all
such estimates and observations, the
information supplied is figured on a
comparative basis, which is also the
case with Government conditions, put
we have used every available effort
to arrive at exact conditions as near
as possible, and believe the results
obtained are approximately correct.
The results Of our inquiry as to the
size Of the crop show a wide liver
gence of opinion as to the production.
The larger percentage of growers re-
port q short crop, as compared with
previous crops, while only a small
percentage say that the crop Is above
the average. Taking our own Observa-
tons into consideration, together with
the reports Of our correspondents, We
estimate the present crop of 1910 to be
II per cent. of an average production,
which is 4 per cent. greater than last
season.
Our inquiry as to the acreage plant
ed resulted in an increased acreage
over last season. While the acreage in
Virginia had been reduced in some
sections, cotton having been planted
instead, yet the average shows that
the acreage remained practically the
same as the previous season in this
State. The acreage planted in North
Carolina. which State is probably d
larger producer of peanuts than Vir-
U1nia ga JnPrnaC cod that in TannnS-I
see about the same as usual. Texas
and louisiana having only in recent
years begun the cultivation of peanuts.
the acreage in these States may be
necessarily increased, but the total
acreage being small and insignificant
is of small moment in the general
summary of the cron.
Taking into consideration all phases
Of the qestion Of acreage after a care
full calculation of the average we find
the present crOn to be 6 ~" cent.
greater in acreage than the 100 crop
Our inquiry as to the yield shows
that only a very small percentage of
farmers produced full crops, the larger
percentage obtaining only a light
yield. 1t is generally known that eli
sponsible for the small yield. Early in
the season the crop looked exceedingly
promising but the excessive rains
caused an over-production of vine and
not enough Of kernel, resulting to q
large extent in light weight and imma-
ture nuts.
THE question Of quality is the mos,
important consideration in the culture
and manipulation of peanuts. Quality
means everyth Lg in the factories that
have the r~ecleaning of the farmers
stock. The results of our investiga-
ton as to the quality exhibits a con-
dition much below the average. Sixty
per cent. Of the producers report a
good quality. while forty per cent. say
the quality is fair to poor. The storm
that caught the crop in the fields i'm
m~ediately after the first digging caused
a great many mildewed and dark nuts,
and our special inquiry as tc this dam
age indicates that % per cent. Of the
entire crop was widowed.
summarizing the results as submit
ted. we find we have a crop Of pea
nuts NhiHh aYHQadc ih2f Of Los 600