98 THE BOOK OF USEFUL PLANTS 



race. Some species may fit peculiar situations, 

 and be improved for this purpose. But only the 

 fittest plants survive in the new, intelligent agri- 

 culture that is coming on. 



PEANUTS 



The young gardener who plants, just for fun, a 

 peanut or two, to see what the plant looks like, 

 realizes, when it comes into bloom, that he has 

 something that might easily be mistaken for a 

 bushy bean or pea plant, with lower branches that 

 creep along the ground in all directions. The 

 familiar pea blossoms settle the question of the 

 family before the seed shows. The plant is a 

 pod-bearer. Its fruit is not a true nut at all. 



Another discovery that pleases the average boy 

 and girl is this : the peanut will grow almost any- 

 where in this country, and produce plenty of 

 "nuts." What a tremendous saving of nickels 

 and dimes ! For who goes out for a holiday with- 

 out patronizing the peanut man, whose neat little 

 pushcart whistles cheerily on the street corner? 

 Mothers would much rather have their hungry 

 children comforted with a bag of warm, fresh- 

 roasted peanuts on the ride home, than with 

 sweets that are made of she knows not what. 



