346 



THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



used, instead of the special stamps now employed. These 

 changes will make the parcel post service ten times more valu- 

 able than now. 



But there is no peace in this world. Already there are 

 rumblings and grumblings here in Washington, in all proba- 

 bility originating with the express companies, and possibly 

 with the railroads. It is proposed to take away from the 

 Postmaster General the power to improve the parcel post 

 service, even with the consent of the Interstate Commerce 

 Commission. But is not this delegation of power as now 

 expressed in the law, just what it should be? How can 

 Congress, which each session is called on to consider about 

 40,000 bills, ever attend to all the details of our great postal 

 system, which so vitally affects every citizen? It will be time 

 enough to limit the powers of the Postmaster General when 

 it shall have been found that he is working against the wishes 

 and needs of the people in postal matters till then, by all 

 means let the present law stand. 



To head off this sinister purpose, and thereby save parcel 

 post, each and every farmer should at once write a brief, 

 courteous letter to his two senators and his representative in 

 Washington, urging them to leave the present law alone and 

 stand by Postmaster General Burleson in his effort to im- 

 prove the parcel post service. Now is the time to tell your 

 congressman how valuable the parcel post system already is, 

 and how much you approve the proposed changes. Write and 

 mail these letters at once, for there are forces at work the 

 aim of which is to tie the hands of the Postmaster General 

 and once for all destroy the efficiency of the parcel post sys- 

 tem. 



Do you want a still better parcel post? Speak out now, 

 and speak plain. 



W. A. HENRY, 



Emeritus Professor of Agriculture, 

 Formerly Dean, College of Agriculture. 

 University of Wisconsin. 

 Present address : 



Blue Hills Farm, Wallingford, Conn. 



THE VALUE OF PEANUT BUTTER AS A 

 FOOD. 



3,779,041 TREES IMPORTED. 



Over Seven Tons of Tree Seeds Bought from 

 Europe This Year. 



Figures gathered by the federal quarantine board 

 of the Department of Agriculture show that during 

 the past fiscal year 3,779,041 growing trees and 15,040 

 pounds of tree seeds were imported into the United 

 States. The trees include, say the members of the 

 board, valuable species that do not grow in the United 

 States and stock which can at present be bought 

 more cheaply abroad. The tree seeds imported are 

 largely for the purpose of reforesting land, though 

 in a number of cases they are used in ornamental 

 planting on individual estates. 



France leads in the number of growing trees sent 

 here, with a total of 1,782,255. Germany is second, 

 with 849,245, and Holland third, with 690,632. Im- 

 ports are made from 13 other countries, including 

 India, Japan and Australia. 



The trees and shrubs imported are chiefly ever- 

 greens, such as pines, spruces, and firs, and broadleaf 

 plants oaks, maples, etc. The majority is stock of 

 foreign origin, though in a few cases cultivators abroad 

 through a special selection of attractive forms of our 

 native trees have developed them to such an extent 

 as to make them desirable to purchasers here. 



Besides more than seven tons of tree seeds, many 

 thousands of pounds of seed of perennial and annual 

 plants, bulbs, and fruit stock, as well as ornamental 

 shrubs, are imported. The greater part of the tree 

 seeds, or more than 7,000 pounds, come from Germany. 



By Dr. Leonard Keene Hirshberg, A. B., M. A., 

 M. D. (Johns Hopkins). 



The Department of Agriculture makes an offi- 

 cial statement in reference to peanut butter. 



The growing popularity of peanut butter as a 

 food has led to many inquiries regarding the meth- 

 ods employed in its manufacture. Peanut butter is 

 in reality a very simple preparation consisting 

 merely of fresh roasted peanuts ground finely and 

 salted to suit the taste. Several large factories and 

 a large number of smaller ones are now devoted to 

 the manufacture of this product with which to sup- 

 ply the rapidly increasing demand. Some of the 

 larger factories are almost models in their construc- 

 tion, equipment and management, while many of 

 the smaller establishments, which have no elaborate 

 equipment are turning out an excellent product. 



Peanut butter was first manufactured and of- 

 fered for sale as a food for invalids, but the article 

 was soon adopted by many persons, who, for one 

 reason or another, such as preference for vegetable 

 foods only, objected to the use of ordinary dairy 

 butter. It soon outgrew this condition of limited 

 use, and its development on a commercial scale has 

 been a. general product. It was never intended that 

 this product should be used as a substitute for or a 

 competitor of butter, but as a luncheon delicacy and 

 to add variety to the diet. Peanut butter is a whole- 

 some and nutritious food product, and has become 

 a popular article upon our markets. Last year one 

 manufacturer used over 130 cars of shelled peanuts 

 in the production of 6,000,000 small jars of this food. 

 Other manufacturers used large quantities, the total 

 consumption of peanuts for the manufacture of pea- 

 nut butter alone amounting during the year 1911 

 to approximately 1,000 cars of shelled goods, or 

 1,000,000 bushels. 



In order to produce high class peanut butter 

 the manufacturer must employ the best materials. 

 On the other hand, the use of the best stock ob- 

 tainable will be of little avail unless the work of 

 converting into a salable product is conducted in a 

 sanitary manner. 



Peanut butter was originated by George A. 

 Bayle, of St. Louis, about fifteen years ago. At first 

 it was considered a novel fad for vegetarians only, 

 but in a comparatively short time it has become an 

 every-day need for all the people. Today many 

 millions of pounds of peanuts are required for its' 

 production. Peanut Butter, usually sold by retail 

 grocers, is undoubtedly pure, elegant and whole- 

 some, and a decidedly better and cheaper food, for 

 young and old, than poor butter. 



Send $1.00 for 1 year's subscription to the IRRIGA- 

 TION AGE and bound copy of THE PRIMER OF IRRIGA- 

 TION. If you desire a copy of THE PRIMER OF HY- 

 DRAULICS add $2.50 to above price. 



