The United Kingdom takes more of our peanuts than any other European country, and during the fiscal year 1919 received over 51⁄2 million pounds; but during the fiscal year 1922 only 12 carloads were shipped there; during the following year little more than 1 carload, and for the year ended June 30, 1924, less than 1,000 pounds. Although the colonial possessions of Great Britain in India and Africa produce large quantities of peanuts, several factors in the peanut industry have felt that the British Isles offer a worth-while opportunity to push the sale of American-grown peanuts and especially peanut products. Considerable advertising would doubtless be necessary, however, to arouse the interest of the English public. Until recently the street vender of peanuts was practically unknown in the British Isles and peanuts could be obtained only in the lowerclass grocery stores; but now a fair-sized and increasing business is being done by London street peddlers in roasted peanuts, using mostly Chinese goods. The peanut is often called the "monkey nut" in England, from the fact that one of the chief uses for peanuts in the shell has been for feeding monkeys in the zoological gardens. It is generally sold to the poorer classes, and the English people generally, especially outside of London, have not learned to eat peanuts. A considerable quantity of foreign-grown peanuts are sold in Belgium, Holland, and other European countries. Well-made American peanut butter, freshly salted peanuts, and the better grades of peanut candy deserve to be better known to the European public. Of the three, perhaps salted peanuts offer the best opportunity for the prospective exporter. For any of them, sufficient advertising to bring the product to the knowledge of the consumer would be essential for success. SUGGESTIONS Increasing demand for peanuts by making them more readily available to the housewife.—It is believed that the sale of peanuts would be greatly stimulated if raw peanuts were made more readily available to the housewife. Attractively lithographed cartons of 1, 2, and 5 pounds of raw peanuts, both in the shell and shelled goods, placed on the grocers' shelves and counters, should find a ready sale, after suitable advertising, among those who want peanuts in greater quantities and at less expense than they can buy from street venders or small stores. The cartons should contain a circular telling how the peanuts can be prepared at home. The expenses of a national advertising campaign might be divided by a group of shellers or cleaners who would form, for the purpose of handling this portion of their output, an association shipping under one uniform label except that the name of each individual shipper could appear in one corner. These cartons could reach the retail grocer through the same channels by which he obtains other package goods. As shelled peanuts are liable to rancidity and weevil attack in hot weather, handlers should keep them under refrigeration during the summer months. Use of No. 2 and No. 3 shelled peanuts in butter or candy.-The peanut-candy and peanut-butter industries have suffered in the past from the fact that manufacturers have used so many shelled No. 2 peanuts in their products. If the raw materials are not of first quality, it is certain that the finished product can not be of the highest class. As No. 2 split peanuts are often dirty and undesirable for use in a food product, it is recommended that No. 2 shelled peanuts be not used at all in the preparation of peanut butter or peanut candy, and that this grade be used only for stock food or for crushing into oil. No. 3 stock or culls should most certainly not be used in products sold for human consumption. Need for seed selection.-The need for careful selection of seed is of paramount importance to the peanut industry, especially in the Virginia-North Carolina section. The selection of seed from varieties and strains yielding maximum quantities of well-filled, largepodded nuts, adapted to the purpose for which they are to be used, is advocated. As Spanish and Georgia Runner farmers' stock are not graded by sizes, large-podded nuts of these varieties are less important than with the Virginia type. Careful picking. Increased care on the part of the operator of the picker in keeping out trash and dirt is desirable. Every one except the operator loses when the machine is not carefully run. In addition to paying for picking dirt, the grower must assume the cost of the extra bags necessary to sack this material. The cleaner must pay for cleaning out the extra dirt, and often pays peanut prices for it. Need of improved ventilation and lighting in many peanut factories. Many of the older peanut factories in the South are poorly lighted and poorly ventilated. The installation of suitable ventilation, and painting the interior of the picking rooms with a white paint or enamel, should improve the grades put out, increase the output of the plants, and reduce the expense of lighting. Farmers' goods shipped in bulk should have doorway space. When farmers' grade peanuts are shipped in bulk, space should be left in the doorway, by suitable bracing, so that the condition and grade of the entire load can be readily determined. If loaded solid the entire length of the car, it is difficult to estimate the amount of dirt in the lower portion of the car. Possibility of export trade in peanut products and raw peanuts.Manufacturers of peanut products might do well to consider the possibility of exporting freshly salted peanuts, well-made peanut butter, and the better grades of peanut candy. It is believed that with proper advertising, foreign outlets might be found for these products. Similarly, a well-planned advertising campaign in Canada and other foreign countries would expand the demand for raw peanuts, whether in large bags or in the cartons referred to in the first paragraph of these suggestions. SUMMARY Three types of peanuts are commercially important in the United States: The large-podded Virginia, the large-podded Runner, and the small-podded Spanish. Virginias in the shell reach the consumer in roasted form. Shelled Virginias and shelled Spanish peanuts appear on the market as salted peanuts, peanut candy, and peanut butter. Shelled Runners are used by some peanut butter and candy manufacturers as a substitute for shelled Virginias, and when prices do not justify shelling, Runners are bought by crushing mills. In years when the relative market prices of crude peanut oil and shelled stock warrant the practice, some farmers' stock Spanish peanuts are crushed. Peanut oil is used chiefly in the manufacture of nut margarine and salad oils. Peanut meal, a by-product of the crushing mill, is valuable as stock feed. A leading obstacle to increased distribution of raw peanuts has been that the public has had little opportunity to purchase them in any but small quantities. It is believed that many housewives will buy peanuts in the raw state, if the peanuts are brought to their attention and are available in 1 or 2 pound packages. Grades have been recommended by the Department of Agriculture for shelled Spanish and Runner peanuts, and for farmers' Spanish stock. The food products inspection service of the department renders available to any interested party an impartial inspection when the grade of a shipment of shelled Spanish is questioned by the receiver. The Market News Service of the Department of Agriculture issues a weekly report showing the market prices and market conditions of peanuts, and shipments of peanuts and peanut oil. These reports can be obtained without expense by anyone interested upon application to the Bureau of Agricultural Economics, United States Department of Agriculture, Washington, D. C. STATISTICAL INFORMATION TABLE 5.-Acreage, yield per acre, and production of peanuts harvested for nuts, 1920-1924 Total United States. 1, 181, 000 1,214,000 1,005, 000 896, 000 1,207, 000 712.5 683.1 630.0722.9 17,000 15,000 22,000 760 800 700 650 675 600 480 720 620 650 700 730 535 355 624.9 Represents the acreage harvested for nuts. Acreage interplanted with corn or other crops when included in this table is reduced to equivalent solid acres. |