New Iberia enterprise and independent observer. (New Iberia, La.) 1902-1944, 1910-11-05
uHE PEANUT Al 4 MONEY
SROP.

OHOF.
every dog has his day is an
old adage and true one, ana
10 it has come to pass that the
Mtlc peanut-the insignificant
little "goobcr"-whlch, untf
recently, was never considered OF
enough importance to bother with,
has now become the staple crop,
the principal money crop, If you
please-of the boil weevil infect
cd districts of the South where
for time immemoral, has reigneu
King Cotton in all of his glory.
so recently has the realization
been thurst upon us OF the grea'
possibilities in the peanut as a
staple money crop that there are
still many who are extremely
sceptical upon the question. They
have so long been figuring upof
their crops in bales and pounds
Of cotton that it is hard for them
10 break loose from the old lines
and realize that THE little inslg
nificant goober pea can take the
place of cotton as a money crop
But while there are q few who
look upon the peanut with a
sceptical eye, tn. MAJ ority OF
the farmers are already thor
oughly convinced of the enorm-
GUS profits that can be made in
peanut culture. Over in Missis
sippi, in the country about Clos
ter, where, by the way, the boil
weevils have not yet gained a
foot hold, peanut growing is al
ready firmly established and rec
ognized as the principal money
crop. They have built a peanut
oil mill and there is a steady mar
ket for every bushel Of peanuts
that can be raised. The farmers
Of that section have built their
land up to where they can raise
an average of so bushels to the
acre and claim that every acre
will net it's owner $500. Where
is the acre Of hill land that will
net its owner THAT much in cot
ton, even without the boil weevils
to eat it upi
One Of the principal arguments
used against the peanut is the
question Of the stability Of the
market-they seem to think here
will be an over-production which
will lower the price. To those
who are doubtful upon tbs score
we call the attention to the fol-
lowing editorial which recently
appeared in the Baltimore Sun:
There is nothing small about
the peanut expect it's size. Pro-
duction and consumption of the
"goober" are now reckoned in
millions of dollars, and it is be-
ing put to many new uses as a
food product.
Peanuts now form an important
ingredient in the vegetarian
meats" which are much more
widely consumed than most peo-
pie imagine. Some of these
meats" by the way, are made
to initiate Dreaded lamb chops,
with sticks of macaroni for bones.
Peanuts are employed largely in
the confectionery trade and en-
ter into the composition of many
fancy cakes, such as macaroons, as
a substitute for almonds. Pea
nut butter likewise much affect
ed by the vegetarians, manufac-
tured by the ton and put in neat
packages, is greatly esteemed for
automobile lunches.
Now that the pestiferous boil
weevil is running the cotton over
such wide areas in the South, |
many planters are burning their
attention to peanuts as a money
crop. Although $4,000, 900
worth Of "goobers'' was raised
in this country last year. the sup
ply is still not nearly equal ito the
demand, a condition suffid entity |
proved by the fact that we are
importing great quantities of pea
nut oil from Europe.
Most persons think of peanuts
As they appear in fruit stands or
in the little wagons of vendors,
but as a matter of fact they are
disposed Of in great variety of
ways and for many other pur-
poses. Thousand of bushels are
shelled for use in the manufac-
ture of confections and food pro-
ducts, the demand for which is
constantly increasing. Great guam