in 1904 the boll weevil，a small insect that destroys thecotton plant by laying its eggs within it， crossed from mexicointo texas.by 1910 it had spread to alabama.george wash- ington carver（american botanist，1864-1943） knew that thecotton crop was in great danger.when he was asked，as a head ofan agricultural department， what should be done，he said，“plowdown your cotton.spray the earth with poison.then a monthlater， plant peanuts.”
“peanuts！”the people cried.“peanuts are food for pigs！people will eat few of them but not many.nobody will buypeanuts from us.and we can't live on them and nothing else.”
“that's what you're wrong，”george carver said.“peanutsare excellent food for men.you can make all sorts of things frompeanuts.just grow them.i'll show you what to do with them.”
he wrote a paper and had it mailed to hundreds of farmers.itsaid that the peanut plant makes the soil rich， that it is easy togrow，that it is good for the human body when the peanut is eaten，that pigs fed on peanuts will produce excellent meat，and thatpeanut oil is one of the best vegetable oils in the world.
many farmers in alabama listened to carver and plantedpeanuts.
1904年，一种在棉株上产卵而破坏棉株的微小的昆虫——棉花象鼻虫从墨西哥传进德克萨斯州，到了1910年它已经扩展到亚拉巴马。乔治·华盛顿·卡弗（美国植物学家1864-1943）知道棉花的收成已濒临极大的危险。当人们问这位农业部门的头头该怎么办时，他说：“犁掉你们的棉花，在田里喷洒毒药。一个月后种上花生。”
“花生！”人们叫嚷道。“花生是猪食呀！人们只是吃上几颗，但却吃不多的。谁也不会找我们买花生的。我们可不能单单靠花生过日子。”
“你们错就错在这里了，”乔治·卡弗说道。“花生是人的极好的食品。咱们还能用花生制作各种各样的东西。只管种花生吧。我会告诉你们花生有什么用处的。”
他写了一篇论文并把它寄给几百个自耕农。论文里说，花生株能使土地肥沃，它易于生长，人吃了花生对身体有好处，用花生喂猪，就能长出很好的肉，而且花生油是世界上一种最好的植物油。
亚拉巴马的许多自耕农听卡弗的话种起花生来。