119 
thus softened, is puddled with the feet, aided by sticks, until the 
lod 
ruits are uncovered and dislodged. These then float to the sur- 
fac are swept into some convenient corner, where they are 
gathered several times more rapidly than by the ordinary methods 
of digging or g Perhaps one of t ost peculiar 
habits of this seed is its tendency to germinate upon being wetted 
after a season of re’ he rains continue in an ordinary way 
up to and beyond the period of maturity the seeds will not ger- 
minate ae eens but should a prolonged drought occur, 
so as to hasten their maturity, ee will then immediately germi- 
nate upon a occurrence of the first rain. 
Among the minor uses of i plant are those of the herbage 
for forage and of the dry shells for fuel. A curious property of 
the latter, the nature of which has not been investigated, is their 
tendency to repeal the attacks of white ants. For this purpose, 
quently lined with these shells. The ground shells also find 
some use in this country, one New York dealer having a stand- 
ing order for a car-load of them, weekly. 
he chief uses of the peanut are of the seeds for food and of 
the oil extracted from them. dhe African tribes are said to have 
used them largely as food during our slave-owning period, and 
they formed the chief article of food supplied to the slaves dur- 
ing their voyage. 
Their food-val pproxi ly shown in the following table : 
hb 
ch, 12. % 
i 
5% 
This composition, with its large percentages of fat and albu- 
s 
that one must use it in moderation, but this is almost equally true 
