The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1921-09-30

coming from Japan are actually pro
duced in China. American consula'
officials in China have reported tina
transpacific freight rates in the pas
have been such that nuts could be
shipped from Tsingtau to Kobe, Jap
an, or to Dairen, .Manehuria, anc
thence to the United States at lowe,
rates than by shipping directly froR
Tsingtau. Considerable quantities Of
peanuts are also imported from Hong
kong; but these, too, are mostly
grown in China. During the fiscal yea,
ending June 80, 1920, China, japan
and Hongkong shipped 120,042,S7e
pounds of our total import of 1872:
412,423 pounds. One of the signif.
cant features of the peanut trade dur.
ing that year was the large importa.
ton from the Dutch East Indies,
principally Java, whence 5,S24,644
pounds were received. Java nuts are
said to be heavier and more oily than
the Chinese product.
g.. Natives Are Suspicious.
Practically all of the peanuts i'm
ported by the United States from Ash
attic sources are of the Virginia. type,
such as are used in this country for
roasting and for Jumbo shelled"
nuts. In fact, the story is told that
this variety of peanut was introduc-
ed into China many years ago by an
missionary, and was for a
while the object of prejudice due to
it's foreign origin. 1t was first called
the foreign devil" nut, but later,
when its possibilities began to be un-
derstood, the name was changed to
"flower-begotten nut"
Shelled Oriental peanuts are to be
found in most of the leading consum-
ing markets of the country, and are
sold for the same purposes as Virgin
ias-to be used in the manufacture
of peanut candy, peanut butter, salt
ed nuts, peanut cookies, and the like.
The output of peanut butter and
salted peanut industries on the Pa
cific Coast is said to have been seri-
ously handicapped by the fact that
Oriental goods of poor quality were
often used. A mixture Of Spanish
type peanuts is also sometimes re-
sorted to, as this is considered de-
sirable to give the butter the proper
consistency. Many Pacific Coast man
ufacturers are said to make peanut
butter from Oriental goods alone.
West of the Mississippi River Asiatic
peanuts have almost entirely dis
placed the domestic nuts forroasting.
Until the Emergency Tariff bill was
enacted, imported peanuts were tax
ed. only three-quarters of cent a
pound, and unshelled nuts three
eighths of a cent pound. The pres
ent act, effective until Nov. ~27, pre-
scribes duty of three cents pound
on the importation of all foreign
peanuts. The imports o.. peanuts have
shown a decline since the
of this duty, and its eff
feet on receipts during the remain
ing period of its enforcement will be
studied with much interest.
The exports of peanuts from the
United States have , recently been
only fraction of the stock import
ed. Canada has received the great
bulk of the peanuts going out of the
country, both Virginia and Spanish
varieties being shipped in volume to
the larger eastern Canadian cities.
quantities have been ex-
ported to Great Britain and the Lat
in-American countries. The exports
of peanuts during the fiscal year end
ed June 80, 1921, totaled 13,149,417
pounds, of which Canada took 10,-
555,932, pounds.