B. P. I— 679. 



THE PICKING AND HANDLING OF PEANUTS. 



INTRODUCTION. 



The growth of the peanut industry in the United States during 

 the last 15 or 20 years has been so great that few people realize 

 its present importance. During this period of expansion few 

 changes in the methods of handling have been made and there is 

 now need for improveiiient all along the line, from the producer to 

 the consumer. The problem which confronts the cleaner and dealer 

 is to place upon the market peanuts that are clean and free from 

 insect or other injury. Under the pure-food laws peanuts that are 

 weevil-cut or improperly cleaned are subject to seizure if offered for 

 interstate trade. In the future, buyers of peanuts will discriminate 

 against goods that are badly broken or otherwise damaged. 



While the primary trouble lies in the methods employed in picking 

 peanuts from the vines, there is need for general improvement both 

 on the farm and in the cleaner's establishment. Farmers are not 

 exercising proper care in the harvesting and curing of the crop; 

 this results in placing upon the market too great a percentage of 

 mildewed and damaged nuts. As peanuts come from the farms they 

 too often contain dirt, stems, cotton stubble, and rubbish of all 

 kinds, rendering necessary a system of docking of weight which 

 leads to general dissatisfaction. The machines used for picking 

 peanuts from the vines break many of the pods, rendering the ker- 

 nels or " peas " subject to the ravages of insects during the summer. 

 It is a well-lmown fact that if the shell of a peanut is not broken 

 or cracked the peas will keep almost indefinitely. The present situa- 

 tion does not present any serious difficulties, but merely shows the 

 need of a general improvement in all branches of the industry in 

 order to place the work entirely above reproach. 



Many of the growers of peanuts hold their crop through the winter 

 months and on into the summer as a speculation. Very often the 

 farmer does not have a suitable place to .store his peanuts and heavy 

 losses result from this practice. The first step in improvement will 

 be to provide machinery that will not break or injure the peanuts and 

 then to secure better methods of storage and handling. It is a fact 

 to be deplored that cars and warehouses used for the transportation 

 and storage of peanuts are often not as clean as they should be, and 

 in the past very little attention has been given to the matter of pre- 

 venting injury from insects, rats, and mice. 



[Cir. 88] 3 



