The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1879-12-24

| WHcu uOlnS ~ We COulU make Llo
facts do double service by showing
what proportion of the products
were by white and colored labor.
In ascertaining this fact the ques.
tion should be confined to laborers
whether proprietors or not. If the
land is titled by white, and the labor
performed by colored men, the facts
should show that, and the results
credited to the latter as far as mere
manual labor is concerned, although
the statistics be returned as the prop
erty OF the white men. 1t is simply
question, after the statistics them
selves have been collected, whether
our field labor is performed by white
or colored labor, and the per centage
of each. :a n
This seems to me to be an impor-
tant matter to US, and if, by such ex-
hibit, we can bring about immigration
to any extent, great or small, we
should take the trouble to perform
the little labor necessary to ascertain
the facts. Other counties being
equally interested could be invited
to join in the same work and thus, by
collecting all the facts, not only do a
few counties, but the whole State
some service. g9eb7fe4 sa@ ha"
1t matters very little what the cir.
cumstances may be that requires
either the white or colored man to
labor in the fields.-The real point is
simply one OF fact, as to whether the
white can do equal labor with the
colored man, in the fields, and live.
In the region Of the St. Johns there
are SO many improvements going on,
that the colored laborers find it more
profitable to work for others than for
themselves. The money that they
are compelled to have is more readily
obtained in6his way; and hence noarly
all of our farm products are grown
k.s>White lslboxers. Rnt in the inte-
~ !, 01 tfffaSSss n
reversed. There t6d Acolored labor
ers are. compelled to till the soil for
their living and surplusmoney hence
a greater per cent. of the field crops
is the result of their labor. The
white laborers are similarly situated.
They are not only compelled to cul'
tivate the soil for a living but for
their surplus money also. It is the
only means they have of obtain
ing it. The small farmers are poor
and have but little credit, therefore
they are necessitated to perform their
own labor. But all this tends to con-
firm the idea that there is nothing in
the nature of our climate and soil adj
verse to successful outdoor labor by
white men, and that the impression
prevailing in the northern states and
elsewhere to the contrary, is an erro-
neous one. .i ,ao i4gta.
There is alsP another phase of this
question which is more grave in its
aspects. 1t is the exodus OF colored
laborers. Evidently the colored
population have caught the migratory
spirit OF the white man. They are
. moving OuO VI CucIF OlU anu ScGOlIuS
in new places If this removal
, should prove advantageous to them
others will soon follow All this is
fraught with serious consequences to
the South OCCASIONALLY man is
! found who takes cruel satisfaction at
this depletion, hut wise men can only
, consider il i1 the light of hemor-
rhage that viii drain away the life
blood of the Sblth, ifimmediate steps
j are not taken 10 replace them by
> white laborets from the northern
states and Epope, and one of the
surest means . doing this is to show
by results thatthe white man can en-.
dure our clini:te and work with at
least equal Success with the colored
, man. S. U. HAMMOND.
.Ft. Gates, liza.
: In pursuape of resolution
4 adopted, cdAmittee of five was ap-
J, pointed to ca5g out the suggestions
q contained in N. Hammond's letter,
r viz:
: S. U. Hamfond, Ft. Gates; VIM.
n D. Allen, Ffitland; w. F. Reed,
Ft. Gates; Edwin Riley, Mt. Royal
s A. H. Manvilk, Lake George.
r The following resolution was unan-
e imously adopkd;
{ Resolved Hat the FLORIDA AG.