Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1903-02-27
FARMERS CONVENTION.

| OOuNcutlOu was uclu Ou ucouhy last III tue
Lyceum at Sandy Spring. The convention,
Of the Farmers, Montgomery and Enter
prise Clubs of Sandy Spring and the White
Oak Club, Of Colesville, was the largest and
most interesting yet held, there being in at.
tendance probably $50 leading farmers of
this county, as we'll as many from Howard.
State Immigration Commissioner Hattersly
W. Talbot, of Rockville, was present with
other representatives OF the Immigration
Bureau from Baltimore, while President
Richard Sylvester and DR.. Owen, treasurer,
represented the Maryland Agricultural Col
lege and Experimental Station at College
Park, Md. The convention began its de
alterations at 1890 o'clock. Edward p.
Thomas presided, with M. O. Staber and A.
Q. Tolson secretaries. The program was as
follows:
1. The relation of the garden to the farm
economy, by Roger b. Farquhar.
2. Why Is our labor so indifferent, and
can 1t be improved by the introduction of
foreignersP by Jacob G. Schonfarber.
8. How can we grow clover again In this
vicinity by Frances Snowden.
L. Do we give sufficient attention to the
washing of our soils, and how can we pre-.
vent III by Robert II. Miller.
8. At this distance from market which Is
the more profitable crop, potatoes or straw
berriesP by Francis Thomas.
9. Do the farmers derive tn benefit they
should from the money spent on Farmers
Institutes, Experimental Stations and the
Agricultural Department by John II. Jan
ney.
There was a general discussion Of each
topic.
Mr.. Jacob G. Schonfarber, assistant to the
Chief of the State Bureau of Statistics, said /:
"When we come 10 consider the question
Of farm labor, and why 1t has become so In
different, particularly In Maryland, we must
first consider the changed conditions brought
about by the revolution in methods and ma
chinery on the farm, as In every other indus
try. Fifty years ago, nine-tenths oil the farm
work was done by hand and constant hard
labor. To-day, any and every well'regu-
lated farm contains such an amount Of ma
chinery and facilities for rapidly doing the
work that even the most poorly equipped
farm is better off In this respect than the
best equipped of the past period. Seeding,
narrowing, threshing, blowing and nearly
all work done In the cultivation OF the land
is now facilitated by steam or steel. The
value OF farm implements In the Stats OF
Maryan Is placed at upward of $SO00,000
by the census, an increase in two decades
OF nearly 80 per cent.
"To day there are 10000 farms In the State
of Maryland; 40,1 1850 of which are owned or
operated, or managed by white farmers, and
6S42 are owned OF operated by colored farm
ers. On these farms are employed 92,014
males and 3,540 females in various capaci.
ties. OF this number $4,000 are agricultural
laborers, representing 14,689 families. These
figures are exclusive OF the children that are
employed on the farms. OF the 234,210
negroes In this State, 81 ia are illiterate,
and can neither read nor write. When it is
remembered that large proportion OF this
negro population live In the counties and
are employed on the farms, 1t will be seen
at glance one of the reaso IS why your farm
labor is Indifferent.
There was time when almost any IN
skilled laboring man could be utilized on
the farm; to day, however, to be OF any help
TO the real farmer he must be almost as high.
ly skilled as the ordinary mechanic. To get
results from labor applied to mother earth,
scientific theory must be practically applied,
and study and developed intelligence Is most
highly necessary. Show me the successful
farmer, and l will show you an intelligent
man. A successful farm hand should know
something about soil, its chemical qualities,
drainage, farm buildings and adaptability OF
the soil
"Now, then, we come TO the indifference
of your labor. Why Is IL Indifferent First,
because 1t is unintelligent.
Second, because you cannot get intelli
gent labor for the money offered by Mary
land farmers to their farm help.
"Third, because Maryland farmers have
so completely depended In the past upon
the unintelligent negro, because he was
cheap, that they are now at loss what to
do when this cheap negro labor is grad
ually being drawn from him by the better
paid low-grade occupations offered In the
cities.
According 70 the census returns, the tend.
ency of the drift of population is TO the
larger cities. This applies more particular.
ly TO the negro population than to the white.
The changed economic conditions, the blare
and glare of the cities, the crowded and
cheap tenement houses, the 81 TO 81 30 day
offered by the ordinary laboring occupa-
tons, and the political utilization of the ne
gro voter, with opportunities for smaller po-
litical preierment, have been temptations
too strong for them 10 resist.
"These, In my judgment, are the main
causes of the Indifference OF the negro farm
labor in the State Of Maryland. Some Of
these same reasons apply 10 the white labor.
"Let us take Tor example poor man, with
family, employed on the farm. He receives
1925 TO $500 year for his work and he has
a wife and two or three children. II he has
two children this means 1874 cents day for
food, clothing, MEDICINE, books, ETC., for
each. He sends his children 10 the county
school, and, probably with the aid Of the
wife, devotes all his energy 10 paying rent,
buying food and clothing. AS soon as the
children are old enough 10 go into tbs can.
merry or factory they are put there, 70 add 10
the family income. For six months IN the
year at least he will work from sunrise 10
sunset. Too tired when that work is done
TO read, with no opportunity TO attend lee
lures or amusements, his evenings are spent
largely in bed. Can you expect any devel
opment OF this mans mind In an age where
everything moves with ightning-like rapid
ity 10 the highest developed civilization ever
knownp Can you expect those children at
work when 10, IL and Ia years Of age TO be-
come intelligent farmersH Does the pay Of
the man Justify such expectations To make
an intelligent man OF farm lab0rer or OF
anybody else you must afford him time for
rest, recreation and education, and these
have not been granted TO the farm laborers
of Maryland and other States In the past.
an conversation the other day with DIR.
George X. Barnett, associate professor at the
Johns Hopkins University, discussing the
question OF negro labor in It's connection
with agriculture, he said
"'First-Agriculture Ia Maryland II II Is
10 be profitable must steadily become more
and more scientific. Scientific agriculture
means machine agriculture 1t must come
about, therefore, that an increasing per cent
age OF the work Of the farm will be done by
machinery.
'SeconG-The negro has, so far as pres
ent experience Of farmers and agriculturists
goes, shown himself incompetent 70 handle
machinery economically or 10 carry on the
cultivation Of those plants requiring high
skill.
"'Thlrd-The statistical proof Of these
propositions Is 70 be found in the fact that
the percentage Of negro agrlcuturists 10
Maryland tends steadily 70 decrease. The
negro is leaving the farm for two reasons !;
n