The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-10-01
Peanut Opens Way
to Wealth

In these war times we are being
urged to cat all kinds Of things Not
much urging will he necessary to make
many persons adopt one natural sub
stitutc for other foods-the lowly pea =
nut. more familiarly known as the
goober. That does not mean we will
be required to. eat our breakfast off
the half shell, as it were. On the
contrary, we can have our peanuts in
many pleasing forms.
Just now the government is expert
menting with new kind Of bread
made largely from peanuts. 1t Is said
to be quite tasty. and Of great nutritive
value. There is almost no other ed
ible product that has as much muscle
building power as the peanut. The
oil is highly nourishing. pleasant to
the palate, and great quantities OF it
have been sold in recent years as best
imported olive OIL" which 1t closely
resembles in color. thickness and taste.
After the oil has been pressed from
the ncanuts there is a residue that the
! packers make into cakes which are
then used as food for farm cattle.
Every one knows how great q deli
cacy Is peanut butter. In many
homes II has come to be substitute
for the ordinary butter. and is a par
ticular favoritc with children. It
makes an excellent substitute for meat
and other articles of diet. Competent
authorities say that peanut butter is
more nutritious than the genuine ar
ticle.
All OF these facts and q number Of
others have been got together by the
Illustrated World of Chicago in an in
teresting article about the peanut
Apparently its uses are legion. \
good part of the annual crop is con-
sumed in the usual roasted form. or as
sailed peanuts. but the demand for
peanut by-products Is growing every
day. The peanut plant is highly val
liable as fodder for cattle. When
plonghed into the ground 1t makes ex-
cellent fertilizer. Not even the shell,
goes to waste. IT Is one of two
things in the world that can be sue
ccssfnlly used for polishing tinp,atc
without scratching. Some Of us have
suspected that It was good for certain
forms of breakfast food as well. but
both the peanut men and the breakfast
food makers deny that such Is the ease.
In 1908 the American peanut crop
brought s1c,0oo,ooo. q circumstance
then considered truly remarkable.
Last year It was worth s56.000, 900. and
the 1917 harvest is expected to com
mand a price Of $4,000. 900. The state
of Texas alone has 2250O0 acres plant
ed in peanuts. and the acreage Is
| growing annually. Throughout the
whole south. notably in Virginia. pea +.
| nuts are being cultivated upon a scale
that Is assuming considerable impor-
tance. The boil weevil has become
such a menace to the cotton crop that
many farmers are turning to the pea :
nut as means OF relief. In spite OF
this activity the demand exceeds the
supply, and peanuts command fancy
| prices.
There are numerous instances OF
farmers suddenly grown wealthy by
| this medium. Even the southern hoy.
are busy raising peanuts and sending
themselves to college with their earn :
ings. The government has under
taken to instruct them in the finer
phases of peanut culture. organizing
| clubs that compete with one another
and ckep interest alive. Predictions
| are that prices will go steadily higher.
no matter how much larger the crop
| may he.
In view. Of all these interesting
things and the exigencies Of war; II
Is not unreasonable to anticipate that
we soon may be eating peanut bread,
| spread with peanut butter and using
peanut oil for our salad. But let US
hope that we may not also have to cat
| the shells for breakfast.