24 THE PEANUT— THE UNPREDICTABLE LEGUME 



the Philippine Islands, the islands were governed from Mexico and a 

 regular trade route was established between them and the west coast of 

 Mexico, and it would seem likely that peanuts were carried there from 

 Mexico. 



The statement that the peanut was not known in North America until 

 introduced on slave ships from Africa has been made so frequently that 

 we have accepted it as true, in spite of the evidence that it was being 

 grown in Mexico and Central America (12, 19, 23) as well as in various 

 islands of the West Indies before the arrival of Europeans. This state- 

 ment was based upon a single paragraph in which Hans Sloane (20), in 

 his natural history of Jamaica, mentioned peanuts grown by Mr. Harri- 

 son from "Guinea seed" and ignores the fact that he mentioned other 

 collections. The first reference to the plant is in Volume I, pages 72 and 

 73, under the paragraph heading : "Arachidna Indiae utriusquetetraphylla 

 Par. Bot. pr. p. 314." Then follows the synonomy with 36 references and 

 ends with the statement: "In Caribearum Insularum una banc plantam 

 collegi, sed qua non memini." (Translation: I collected this plant on one 

 of the Islands of the Caribbean, but which (one) I do not remember.) 



On page 184 we find the commonly noted reference: "XXII. 

 Arachidna Indiae utriusquetetraphylla. Par. Bot. pr. cat. p. 72. Mandobi 

 fructus pisonis Mus. Swammerd. p. IS. An Terfez. Ogilb, Africa p. 22. 

 I found this planted from Guinea seed, by Mr. Harrison, in his Garden 

 in Liguanee. The fruit, which are called by seamen earthnuts, are brought 

 from Guinea in Negro ships, to feed the Negroes withal in their voyage 

 from Guinea to Jamaica. . . . An oil is drawn out of them by expression, 

 as good as that of almonds. . . . This is the nut Clusius speaks of, 

 wherewith the Portuguese victual their slaves to be carried from St. 

 Thome to Lisbon." 



Reference is also made in Volume II, page 369 : "Mandubi quadri- 

 folium Americanum fructus subterraneous flore luteo Amenduinas 

 Lusitanorum. Surian. An Junsa Linchot. cap. 8, or cap 6, C.B. Pin. 346? 

 Arachidna quadrifolia vellosa flore luteo. Plum. pi. Amer. p. 49. Pasta- 

 ches des Isles, autrement Manobi Labat. T. 4 p. 49. Mr. Barham says, in 

 his observations, they are eaten raw, roasted, or boiled and never occa- 

 sion any headache." 



There are other incidental references, but each of these three notes 

 evidently refers to different collections and indicates clearly that peanuts 

 were commonly grown in the islands visited by Sloane, and probably of 

 more than one type. It seems probable that he mentioned the peanut 



