El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-10-05

l. L44L LELlLA annual convention on the
American Nut Growers associa-
ton which meets today in Mobile
has much larger number Of delegates
than would have been thought possible
even a decade ago. Nut growing IN
America as a remUnerative industry has
passed the experimental stage and the
nut products of the nation are reckoned
| as of real Importance among food re-
sources.
The interest in nut growing on the
part of the department of agriculture
is comparatively of recent origin 1t
regarded of sufficient Importance 10
regarded Off sufficient importance 10
enutle II TO separate cOnsidera ton
until 1907 Then q branch of the de-
partment to be especially devoted 70
the promotion OF nut culture was or
gained with an expert at its head.
since then numerous experiments have
been made and the varieties of nuts in
creased and improved. Nut prOpagating
stations have been opened in various
parts Of the country for the prOpaga-
ton Of young trees and gratis TO i'm
prove the varieties.
Increase IS Enormous.
" bile the increase in the production
/ OF nuts in the United States has been
enormous during the past 10 years, it
lS not yet equal to the constantly in
/ crt ss.ng demand Nuts are an essential
article In the vegetarian diet and even
2'hrnR the nOn-Vegerarians they are be-
l coming more popular each year and the
Z old prejudice against their unWhOle-
someness is passing away as people
I understand better how nuts should be
eaten. As a dessert, following q heavy
meal which is the place nuts former
Z y held on the menu, they are apt TO
| De indigesuble, because they are heavy
/ food and require additional eXertion
| for the digestive organs.
Nuts may be regarded as the eggs
! Of the vegetable world, new life
d
/ Ken. Nuts also resemble eggs In their
| chemical composition, as they contain
/ a large percentage of protein and OF oil
/ as well as Of phosphorus
Nut Butter is Good
! When the teeth are not good, nuts
/ should be ground up before being eaten.
/ or they may prove indigesuble- They
/ are most wholesome when 'emulslf1ed'
| or reduced to an oily consistency re-
/ sembling butter Nut butter is now In
| popular demand and is used in various
ways. As a substitute for meat in fill
I ing sandwiches IL has excellent food
value and is wholesome when combined
with sugar in confectionery.
Nut rOssts constitute a novel method
Of serving this newly developed food
product The sheLed nuts, more or less
finely ground, are combined with bread
crumbs and seasoning, eggs generally
being added TO bind the mass together.
1t is formed into loaf which is cooked
IN the oven after the fashion OF roast
beef being basted with melted butter
This forms q delicious and wholesome
meat substitute which is becoming In
creasinEly popular Nuts are highly
concentrated form OF food and should
not be eaten too freely in hot eli
mate. They are more wholesome IN
cold weather than in warm. because
their oils make them heat producing
There is much difference I'm the chem
ical composition OF nuts. Peanuts con-
tain great deal OF starch IN additOn
TO their oily sustance- Iney are unpal-
eel .T NIB NrrH rrH
meut if properly roasted Peanuts In
reality do not belong 70 the nut ramil}S-
They are really legumes, but are treat
ed al nuts and are nutty in their flavor
Pecans and walnuts are the most oily
and nutritious nuts although the al
mond contains almost as much oil
Chestnut a True NuG
The chestnut is true member OF the Z
nut family vet in substance differs
greatly from the others Like the pea
nut the chestnut contains great
amount Of starch 1t also mas con
siderable percentage or sugar ana IS I
improved by being cooked. In ltaly, I
the chestnut is en- important 1000 pro-
duct Its yield IS more promo IMAM III Z
the United states and the nuts are q I
larger size The Italian peasants make 4
flour of chestnuts just as the natives I
of Central America make banana IlOur /
for their bread. Last year q man rom /
central Pennsylvania began the tlrst 7
manufacture Of chestnut flour on record /
IN America His flour, manufacturer Pr
from nuts Of his own growing, has been ]
tested and approved BY the uepar llnelll /
of agriculture and will soon be placed 1
upon the market although the quantity I
will be limited.
II any great demand should develop /
for chestnut flour in America II cOulu /
NOT be supplied from the nuts now I
grown here. because the crops are IN
adequate and uncertain A species OF \
worm which attacks the chestnut heLOIe
Ii riDens is q formidable enemy that IS u
u ~ under the control or science
The fact that the demand for chestnuts
as q food product has never Oeen heaFg
is one reason that no great amount OF
attention has ever been given 10 ll, al
though for several years the department
of agriculture has been conducting
series Of experiments in fighting the
chestnut worm, put Win -ll.-e SIICS-
The same tree viii yield lperdl,
healthy crop one year and the next
year produce nothing but unslsnl!y'
worm eaten nuts The development on
encourage additional vigilance ana
doubtless the difficulty would be over
come
The pecan nut is the one receiving
greatest attention on the part Of the
nut growers Of America, and II Is Pro
ducing the best result. This nut Wn!cn
belong stO the hickory family, Is native
TO America and found in a large number
Of states although the best nuts are
raised In the south. AS this convention
is In the midst Of the pecan region, nut
growers from other parts of the coun-
try viii have a chance to observe the
nut in its most perfectly developed
state. EXperim ents are now being car !
ried on TO enlarge the size of the nut I
kernel. lessen its shell, and improve IT
i'm every way. The harvesting Of the
pecan nut and its preparation 1or mar
izet is an important industry IN many
states. After being taken from the
tree the bulls Of the nut are removed
and the nuts are polished by machinery
Some firms bleach the nut with sulphur
fumes, but this process has been gener-
ally discarded. because 1t renders a
nut uuwhOlesome and often injuries the
flavor.
Pecan culture is a comparatively new
Industry, but the nut has been popular
In this country from its early history.
A French officer who assisted the
Americans during the Revolution re-
cords that Gen. Washington was eN-
fond of pecans. always keep
Ing them IN his pockets and munching
them upon every occasion Originally
the pecan was native to a restricted
area extending from Davenport. Iowa,
TO Chattanooga, Tenn. to Laredo Tex
as and as far up the Ohio river as
CovingtOn. Kentucky. Trees from this
region were transDlanted TO other parts