The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-09-24
.PEANUT-GROWING
IN THIS COUNTRY

Washington, September 23.-The tre-
mendons growth of the peanut growing
and manufacturing industry within the
past decade has been the subject of
much comment from those conversant
with agricultural conditions In tho
south. The peanut has come to- BIO one
OF the great money crops of that sec
tion--a crop. worth millions of doll
lars throughout the South In one city
alonc-Sufolk. Va. perhaps the great.
est peanut market in the world-ths
hsures for the peanut Industry last
year ran over $5.000,OO0
In Southeastern Virginia and North
ern North Carolina is one OF the great
est peanut belts OF the country Along
the lines of the Southern Railway in
IRIS section are thousands and thou
sands OF acres of peanuts: for miles
on either side of the railway stretch
the level peanut fields. The peanut In
this section is the staple crop-ths
money factor In the farming system
and there are many prosperous farm.
ers, owning large estates, who have
become rich through the growing of
the goober. There are peanut factoriea
which are now turning out annually
thousands OF pounds of peanut butter.
tons of bleached nuts and sailed pea
nuts, and employing during the rush
reason thousands of hands.
increasing Demand.
In Georgia are many sections where
the peanut is. grown profusely and
very probably. on the fertile lands
of the Mississippi Yazoo delta a fair
~ good grade of peanut is grown The
soils and climate of Mississippi and
Alabama seem adapted TO the peanut,
and many have found success by plant
Ing peanuts in q proper rotation. Pea
nuts and cotton are often grown in
alternate years and seen, 10 form an
admirable combination.
The market for peanuts and peanut
products. despite the great increase
in production. steadily climbs. Last
year America imported great quaint.
ties OF peanut oil. the home proouc.
ton not having been sufficient to fill
the demand of the oil crushers
Peanuts always present a Arm and
uniform market, and while there ara
no instances OF star,iingly great profits
from the nut on small areas, for q
consistent. safe and always profitable
crop there are few equals to the pea.
on land which will not produce tho
best crops OF other plants, and It's
cost Of production is low.
The peanut Is easy to grow IL
grows best In light. fertile. sandy.
soil. The plant has few diseases and
parasites. none serious. and requires
small attention. II intelligently grown.
peanuts Will not deplete the soil, and
with proper administration of fertilizer
and well-planned rotation and sys-
TEN OF cultivation lands on which pea
nuts are grown will improve from year
10 year.
An acre of peanuts properly Guilt
waited. will produce one ton of vine.
valued at IS. and sixty bushels OF
nuts worth $40 TO 500. Cost OF Guilt
walton, fertilizer, seed. etc. should not
are average ones, taken from the state
ments of many growers. and from
government bulletins on the industry.
This Will leave a net profit OF from
SIS to s35 per acre, which. consider
Ing the sureness of a good crop. tho
steadiness of the market and the & g
OF production. to say nothing of the
fact that another crop OF some other
quick growing plant can usually be
taken from the peanut fields. is a rather
good margin OF profit for the grow.
er.
Government Takes Hand.
The United States Department OF
Agriculture has recently begun a
series OF Investigations and expert
ments in peanut growing. with view
to ascertaining the possibilities OF tho
development OF the nut and the in
creasing of yields. Both OF these things
can be done, it is claimed, in marked
degree by careful selection OF seed
nuts, improved methods OF cultivation,
etc.
Peanuts make a fine fod for stock,
and many growers carry on in con-
nection with their peanut industry a
profitable cattle or hog farm. Pea
nut hulls are stated to be an excellent
fertilizer by the Fertilizer Bureau. al
though requiring some time to dis
integrate after being placed on the
land. p II Ma