The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1910-02-05

ling of peanuts is small business, a
business for small men. But the val
ne of this small plant is too great To
be forever obscured by prejudice and
contempt.
When the hungry Northern soldiers
invaded the South they instantly APP
precia ted this toothsome dainty and
carried it and the fame OF 1T back
with them to the North. When after
the war demand for it soon arose.
To supply this demand the growing
of it increased SO rapidly MS to be
rated an industry by 1870.
This industry has steadily grown
until in 1908 the national output
was worth $12,OO0,000, or oue-half
the value of either Americas rice
crop or her rye crop, which crops
rank in value respective. eleventh
and twelfth among her staples.
The high prices received for pea
nuts Indicate that much larger out
put could have been marketed. This
in spite of thef fact that there remains
large sections where it is still little
used and that as yet our culinary
artists have scarcely noticed it. The
rapidity with which this industry is
| n -
moving upwards in the scale and It's
numerous untouched possibilities for
the production of appetizing dishes
and most delicate table oil in adj
dition to its great value as stock
feed indicates that in a very few years
peanut growing will certainly be one
of Americas great and widespread
staple industries in North Louisiana
until 1909 peanut, although gen.
orally grown. was not seriously re-
garded.
j 1t was considered good for the chill
I dren aud the pigs, but Was not
: dreamed of as money crop. But il
E the distress caused by the invasion o.
the cotton weevil the farmers looking
e for something dependable considered
: the peanut as well as corn.
c Not realizing that there already
existed an enormous market theIl
e plan was to sell the peas to the oil
a mills and one mill prepared to crust
: this years crop. A government ex
o pert was brought in to instruct th'
: growers how to raise the plant ant
. about $500 acres were planted il
v North Louisiana as a money crop.
i The far,iers expecting to sell t
the mills for As cents per bushel wer
d pleased and astonished to find buyer
d on the ground Offering 80 cents pc
,, bushel before single pea had bee
,e dug, and the price has been steadil
,f advanced until 90 cents now prevails
While this high price makes impos
r sible in the immediate future the d.
te velopment of an oil industry it aug
p. ers well for peanut growing, an
e. awakens thoughtful people to tn
8, realization OF another dazzling POI
It sibility of our wonderful section.
K A new staple crop which pays Q
c. wall as cotton in the palmiest day
in ada pied to all of our soils, and wit
be an esta blished market far great
Mt than we can supply.
IN l will mention a few results o
ID tanned the first year OF experiment.;
err Ben Gray raised 43 bushels p
it ncre on / z acres; jim Fullilove. !
bushels per acre on 5 acres; Jof
B. Glassell, As bushels per acre on
al acres; John Wimple, 46 bushels p
h. acre on 1Oacres. All on alluvial laI
he while the crop around Ruston upt
=. the uplands averaged thirty bushs
~ per acre without fertilizer.
"a Ellison Adger upon his farm ne
X Belcher, made an interesting.expe
=. ~ ment, planting one row OF cotton al
RS two rows of peanuts alternately u
nd ON twenty acres of land. The cott'
he paid all expenses including FIVE d.
ne lars per acre rent, leaving the pc
nuts as clear profit.
As the nuts were gathered by no
'rs the ultimate profit cannot yet be
'e' termined. But had the nuts be
:. dug, upon the 13z acres, which tn
!. occupied and yielded the usual