ing of green that is
always pleasing to the eye. The peanut crop surpasses them all in
beauty. It presents an air of freedom, of repose, of life, and of
security from harm, of which no other can boast.

Such is the crop to which we have invited the reader's attention, and
the planting and cultivation of which we have endeavored to describe.
Having proceeded thus far, let us pause a moment, as the writer has
done, time and again, to survey the beautiful prospect of a field of
peanuts in full maturity. There it is, a literal carpet of living green,
covering acres on acres of mother earth, and beneath its velvet folds is
quietly growing the wealth that is to make its owner independent, and by
means of which the planter's family is to secure most of the necessaries
and comforts of life. No crop outside of the market gardens, yields so
much actual cash per acre as this. No wonder, then, that it readily
becomes popular with all who try it, and that it never loses ground
wherever introduced under favorable circumstances.

An interval of about two months now elapses, during which the crop
requires no attention. The seed pods are filling and maturing, and the
whole plant is ripening for the harvest.

CHAPTER IV.

HARVESTING.

=When to begin Harvesting.=--We come now to the laborious and often
difficult work of harvesting the peanut crop. We say difficult, for
often rainy or other unpropitious weather at this period, makes it
exceedingly hard to save the crop in good condition, and prevent the
pods from becoming dark or spotted. Ordinarily, the harvesting should
not begin so long as mild and growing weather continues, even though
October may be far spent. It is important, of course, to get as many
firm, matured pods on a vine as possible, and the longer the weather
holds favorable for this, the more pods, as a rule, will there be.

If, however, the crop has been planted early, and the leaves begin to
fall from the vines, it is better to start the plow and dig the crop at
once. When the Peanut plant gets fully matured, it is very apt to begin
to cast its leaves, especially on ground that has been planted in
peanuts often before. After the leaves fall off, the vines are of very
little value as hay, and as most planters consider them excellent
provender, they make it a point to harvest the crop in time to secure
good hay. For the same reason, effort is made to dig and shock the vines
before a killing frost occurs. Fro