The times., 1897-04-18

| boards contains wide cracks, often an inch
apart.
In one cabin close to a swamp one OF
| the Investigators asked woman If the
snakes did not getin and disturb her.
"Oh. yes, they gets in sometimes" said
she, ''but / bresh 'em out" The fIrui-
ture consists generally of two roped bed
| steads, corn-shuck matt resses, patchworb
j quilts. a small portable wooden cupboard
| containing a few dishes, wooden box or
| Old trunk for both food and clothing, a
Cheap pine table, few homemade chairs,
pair of andirons and a pot in the fire
place and an earthen jar used as "a churn.
The farm land adjoining is generally Of
from 20 to so acres, and is known as
''One-mule" or ''two-mule" farm. One
mule is calculated to cultivate from %
to 40 acres. Cott ON is the staple product,
aud the status OF the farmer in the black
belt is decided according TO the number OF
bales ofCottOl he can cultivate in one year.
The negro farmer. the representative
inhabitant OF the belt. generally works
seven and q half months of the year,
devOting the remaining time to social
enjoyment and religious exercises. The
work in the fields is done by the men,
women and children. Saturday as well
as Sunday is a holiday, even in the busy
season. The little moTey received at the
end of each busy season for crops is soon
spent, and until the end of the next season
each family for the most part lives from
hand to mouth. While lie has money the
negro of the black belt is prey for the
shrewd trader, who can urge almost any
M Of a no nnin no
of the planting season he is generally with
out cent to buy seed or necessary i'm
plements.
As a result hesigns a waive note, giving
the first mortgage on his crop to his W hite
landlord or the neghbOnng storekeeper.
The wnite man keeps the accounts, interest
is often unjustly high, and the mortgage is
not always fairly drawn.
On the first day of the fortnight of study
usually, the Investigators visited the cabin,
weighedthe food on hand and made arrange
mentS to have all new food weighed before
being used. This was an easy task, since
food is usually bought at the country store
but once week. At the end OF the two
weeks account was taken of the food on
hand, as in the beginning, and Ofthe portions
thrown out as waste. Thequantity actually
consumedin theintervaI wasthusestimated.
Samples OF each food eaten by the family
were taken for analysis.
1t was found that the staple foods used
in almost all Of these negro families were
salt pork, molasses, corn meal, and white
flour The salt pork was fat sides
slaughtered and saIted in Chicag go
Meat means nothing but salt pork to
these people. They know nothing OF any
other food meat, according to the inves-
tigators, except rabbit, 'possum, or chicken,
occasionally eaten as luxuries. Few white
people, even In this section eat fresh meat.
The climate Is unfavorable TO ordinary
grasses, and the meat Of the cattle is there
fore, less fat, tender and juicy than that
of those grazing in the North. No sheep
were seen in the country. Mutton and veal
are uncommon as food. The colored people
have become accustomed to salt pork, corn
meal and molasses, and do not care TO
change their diet.
Managers of colored boarding schools In
the section report that their pupils are
welded to the salt pork and prefer 1t to
fresh meats very few OF the coIored
families visited kept cows. Those who did
raised them solely for their milk and butter
L he lIllk Was uOG SSpdI Steu iIOlil blle CTedm
before churning and the butter was neither
worked nor salted.
Cookin g In the belt is usually done Overthe
open fire. in primitive fashion. Corn meal
is mixed with water and baked on hoe
or griddle. Salt pork is cut thin aud fried
in its own fat until brown, molasseS being
addedto he greasein the pan to form sap"
eaten upon the corn cakes. Hot water
sweetened with molasses is used as table
beverage. Molasses Is usually made from