is the neglect of
these few precautions that so sadly curtails the bill of sale of many a
planter. If planters would offer pickers extra inducements for clean
pods, this difficulty would, to a great extent, be obviated. When the
same price is paid for all, without regard to the manner of picking, a
premium is offered for slovenly work, and the careless get better paid
than the painstaking.

In picking, the pops should be refused altogether, and the saps and very
dark pods go by themselves. Many planters, however, leave the saps on
the vines, saving the best only. The saps, however, will sell, either in
pod or shelled, and if numerous, will more than pay for picking them. It
is, therefore, so much gained. It must be confessed, however, that the
presence of a good many saps on the vines, makes them much more valuable
as feed.

Just here let us explain that "pops" are pods that have attained full
size and firmness, but which are minus the seed. Dry weather, and the
lack of calcareous manures in the soil, will cause many pops. "Saps" are
immature pods, the last to form on the vine, and which might become good
peanuts if they could have a longer period of growing weather. The
presence of pops in the marketable peanuts is very detrimental to their
sale, and hence should be carefully rejected in picking. Saps also are
detrimental, but to a less extent than pops.

=Price paid Pickers.=--The price paid pickers varies somewhat from one
season to another, according to the quality of the peanuts, and the
market price received for them. Hands commonly board themselves, and
receive so much per bushel for picking. Of late years, the price has
stood pretty uniformly, at twelve to fifteen cents per bushel. The
peanuts are either measured or weighed. If weighed, twenty-four pounds
are counted as a bushel in the first part of the season, the extra two
pounds being taken to make up for the subsequent loss in weight. If a
hand is boarded by the owner of the crop, he gets but ten cents a bushel
for picking. A fast hand will pick from four to six bushels a day, the
children are just as likely to do this as grown people. Hence, at this
season of the year, women and children earn what is considered pretty
fair wages. Under the most favorable circumstances, the best hands will
pick seven bushels a day. Very much depends, however, on the quality of
the peanuts, and something also on the weather. In very dry weather, the
stems come off with the