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FACTS ABOUT GEORGIA
Peanut Oil ana Soy Bean Oil
A new and extremely promising industry is open to farmers
in Georgia in growing peanuts and soy beans for the oil trade.
Both these crops are of oil value equal if not superior to cotton
seed, and the oil mills are encouraging their planting, since cotton
acreage has been so largely reduced from economic causes as well
as on account of the spread of the boll weevil pest. Both crops
are raised extensively in Georgia, but heretofore mainly for feed
purposes, and both thrive wonderfully well wherever cotton will
grow, and that is all over the State.
In the wiregrass country, otherwise South Georgia, peanuts
are colloquially known as pinders, and for making pork the pinder
field is the pasture par excellence. The United States census
reports for 1910 credited Georgia with a peanut acreage of
160,000. It is estimated that the number of acres planted in
peanuts in the State in 1916 will be at least double that number.
They are cheaper to raise and harvest than cotton, and while the
average yield is about 35 bushels an acre, it can easily be brought
up to 60 or 75 bushels, and 100 bushels an acre are not uncom
mon. The price paid by the mills is necessarily controlled by
the big commercial peanut markets of Norfolk, Shreveport and
St. Louis, but runs from 60 to 75 cents a bushel. In addition
to the nuts, the peanut hay, of which there should be at least a
ton to the acre, brings from $15 to $20 a ton.
The United States imports upwards of one and a half million
gallons of peanut oil a year. It imported 16,360,425 pounds of
soy bean oil in 1914. Thirty gallons of oil is the average crush
ing from a ton of beans. After the oil is extracted the by-product
of peanuts or soy beans in the form of meal is of equal value to
that of cotton seed, as feed for cattle as well as for fertilizer.
New mills are being established in a number of counties in the
State, especially for crushing the peanut and soy bean crops of
.the farmers of their communities. It is even possible to obtain
domestic mills for home grinding of soy beans, the meal of the
mellow yellow variety of which is considered by many people
to be superior to corn meal for muffins,and cakes.
Viewed Iry an Iowa Farmer
Early in 1915, A. Horswell, who calls himself a "full fledged
lowan," having lived and farmed in Iowa for 35 years, spent a
month or so in Georgia, investigating conditions with a view to
taking up farm lands and making his home here. He was satisfied
with the prospect and is arranging to make the move. His investi-
The extension service
of the State College of
Agriculture has in eight
years accomplished won
ders in Georgia. The
county agents in farm
demonstration have
started alfalfa fields all
over the State. They
have introduced clover,
vetch, cowpeas, velvet
beans, soy beans, and
other soil building
crops, where they had
never been grown be
fore. Purebred live
stock have been brought
in, more than 50,000
hogs have been inocu
lated for cholera by
these agents during the
past year, when 222
silos had been built,
waterworks, light plants
have been installed, and
a vast amount of other
helpful service ren
dered.