32 
BULLETIN 1401, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
Many members of the trade have felt that the specifications in 
the rules of the National Shellers and Cleaners Association are not 
sufficiently definite, and such liberal tolerances are provided that 
buyers still purchase largely by brand name and on the shipper's 
reputation rather than by grade. 
Owing to the scarcity of large-sized nuts during recent years, and 
to the increasing demand by salting interests for large shelled Vir- 
Fig. 15. — Different lots of oil stock from plants running shelled Spanish peanuts. (Reduced one- 
third) 
ginias, some shellers have occasionally lowered the count for their 
extra large Virginia grade, and while some shipments of extra large 
will run 30 to 32 to the ounce, other lots have been seen which graded 
34 to 36 to the ounce instead of 33 as prescribed in the rules. This 
lowering of the standard has been particularly unfortunate because 
of the recent stiff competition which Virginias have had to meet from 
oriental peanuts. Large quantities of the 28 to 30 and 30 to 32 to 
