This old photograph shows George Washington Carver (second from the
right) working with students in his laboratory at Tuskegee Institute in
Alabama.
Peanuts grow undergound.
PLENTY OF PEANUTS
How can a cotton farmer earn a living if bugs called boll weevils eat
all his cotton? A famous scientist named George Washington Carver found
an answer. He persuaded some of the farmers around Tuskegee, Alabama, to
use their ruined cotton fields to grow peanuts.
The farmers took Dr. Carver’s advice. They learned that the soil and
warm climate were just right for growing the peanuts.
But Dr. Carver didn’t stop his work. He made many experiments with
peanuts. He found they could be used for more than just roasting,
salting, and eating.
From the peanut, he found ways to make such things as vinegar, salad
oil, shampoo, face powder, and ink.
Today, Alabama is one of the leading states in producing peanuts. And
the farmers have never been sorry that they changed from cotton growing
to peanut growing.
