Revealing mistake: When the bus pulls up for the Taylor family to leave for Hollywood you can see behind the bus a California freeway with cars moving in both directions. I don't think that Mayberry had a freeway right outside town. The scene is fixed when they return in "Aunt Bee on TV." There has been a tree put there so the road wouldn't show.
Continuity mistake: When Warren parks the squad car at the bus stop, as he gets out of the car note the long whip antenna is attached to the bracket over the rear passenger door, but when it cuts to the closeup the whip antenna has vanished. (00:21:25)
Answer: It was a joke. They were supposed to be dumb hillbillies.
Both. According to later interviews with both Andy and the Dillards band (the real name of the band that played the parts of the Darling children, of which Charlene (Maggie Peterson - Mancuso was also a member) the reason the Darling boys never had any lines was because they would've had to have been paid if they spoke. In return for appearing without lines or pay, Andy promised to get as much of their music onto the show as possible which, he did. This obviously gave them a lot of exposure.