Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-03-12
The Negro and Tobacco.

Professor THoMAsN. CONRAD. of the Mary
land Agricultural College. who isalso the
tobacco expert of the Census Bureau" de-
liyered an address TO farmers at Annapolis
on Tuesday, in which he said that the pro-
iucti6n of tobacco had ceased to pay in
that State. The cause of this. he contend
ed. is the impoverished condition of the
soil and unskilled and unorganized labor.
"The practical man does not want to fol-
low the eight-hour rule" said he, -" but
desires to GO to work at sunrise and keepit
mp until dark. Neither dove wish foreign
labor. Give us the negro of bygone days"
be said, and he continued:
Give us the negro Of bygone days. Maryland
and the South viii never get better. There Is a
college on the Eastern Shore erected at a cost Of
$4,000 10 turn out coored dudes and preachers.
Put them In the fields, not colleges. That is the
place for them, and If Governor jackson was
here to-day would not be afraid to tell him. We
want good negroes and strong mules. This is the
only way that our fathers succeeded. Our con-
gressmen are plsmies and afraid to open their
mouths
The Professor made pretty dashing adj
dress. Some Of his assertions will be chal-
lenged and some of his conclusions de-
MED, but we dare say the farmers Of this
section OF Virginia will concur with him in
saying, "Give us the negro of bygone
days"-not the slave, but the negro who was
habituated to regular, systematic tarm-
labor. Such hands are now rare. Planters
find il difficult to secure or keep them.
They have gone of TO cities and TO public
works and have left inexperienced and in
competent persons. or no persons at all, in
their places. This is the evil. The remedy
is not so plain. PAY larger wagesl" 1t
cannot be done. The farmers cannot pay
anything more than they are now paying
unless prices Of produce rice. and there
seems no present prospect of this.
The Professor advised division of es-
tates" and "keerHag the boys at home"
rather than sending them to the cities or
TO the West. All this has been heard be-
fore. The boy of spirit cannot be made to
stay where the future has no promise for
him. IF we adopt improved methods
we can raise 1000 pounds of tobacco to the
acre instead of 500 pounds. The old
farmer can then sit ON his front porch and
dream Of prosperity the Professor said.
No doubt the Maryland planters would
like TO know what these methods" are.
and also how they can hope for active CON-
petition for the purchase of their crops in
view of the present monopolistic tenden-
cies.
Professor CoSRAD was once at the head
Of our Blacksburg College, and according
70 one of tho accounts given OF his ad-
dress he denied that there had been any
slide Of Immigration ito Virginie. 1T is
only good class OF people from the North
who have gone down there and developed
the native energy of the people," he said.
Altogether, his address has caused SEN
sation in Maryland. He was very " free
spoken" and the Baltimore american Gre
publican) Of yesterday said editorially
he might accomplish moreif he were not
90 sweeping in his denunciations Of every
aid to agriculture except his own" and
further expressed some apprehension that
be might ''oyerdo his part"
The Professor means well enough, but
there is vast difference between prac-
ticing and preaching agriculture.