New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-06-12
FARMING IN THE SOUD M
Leigh Hunts ErperieHees-Viierra
on the Negro Question.

Leigh Hunt whose restless procivity for pionsa-.
ing has identified him with the agricultural devson-
ment OF the SOudan, is staying at the Hobr5
House Having at one time been president ~ -
Agricultural College Of Iowa. Mr. Hunt has Lon.
regarded the valley of the Nile as he expat,s
yesterday. the most promising territory under IT,
SUM- He recently returned from Africa and -
plying to questions concerning the country n.
said:
left Cairo on October 20 last year and. accou-
panied by my family, went by way OF AssoTa-
and HaIfa to my plantation az the mouth ot
the A13aT9 wnlcR gnle[ ro 1e E e about twelve
traversed the tributaries of the Nile every croos
the point beyond which We might not go 'I ~
five years since began seriously TO study the pos
sibIties of that country. and about year sinca r
became actively connected with the enterprise n
which have cut out the balance OF my life work
My plantation, acquired rom the S0udan govern.
ment extends for forty miles along the west bank
of the Nile and back TO the Abyssinian hills from
which have come the aluvlai deposits that give Is
seventy-hve feet in depth OF rlch black loan. On,
ern terminus of the railroad now being built ~
Lord Cromer to the Red Sea. This railroad Ina
which is three hundred miles in length, win ~
completed In about year, and Will be the key thss
is unlock the latent wealth that lies in the soil
the only products Of the interior that could be- we're
ported TO market at a profit The completion ~ 80.
railway will work wOndrous change. The COST
of river transportation on the Upper Nile and its
tributaries is very small and when the railway
Is finished 1t will give an outlet to the Red Sea
where vessels hOmeward bound in ballast from ths
Orient will pick 10 cargo at rates so low as Ia
country
Upon my plantation Is the government expe-L.
ment station. and Just now. in compliance with ~.
orders of the Governor Sirdar OF SOudan, 9Taios
General ,Wingate. am determining the best rnOnfS
IN which to plant cotton Our first planting yaa
In April. this year. and again In May. and so on
shall plant every month of the year. NOTING
the growth and results shall be able 10 fix upon
the most favorable season for cultvating the croo
conditions. as to the quality Of seeds equals tina
American product. and We believe shall be ahs
to equal the Egyptian standard. OF course. other
experiments will be made as TO the production AZ
fruits and cereals. The capital has been providsf
for this project and have no securities to exploit
Not only is the soil of this country exceedingly
rich. but the climate is about with tina.
OF Mexico City. Honolulu. Annoy. China. Calcutta
and Bombay. though most nearly approaching thas
OF the Mexican capital tt IS. however, dryer.
That I propose the colonization of the American
negro in the 5Oudan is misapprehension. ] have
simply noted that the negro problem Is growing con-
stantlv more seriOUS-t1at the is rapidly null
tipying and has not the opportunity afforded other
peoples for an outlet. The negro demands a certain
climatic environment In country where initiative
IS not exacted in too great degree. The SOudan
meets the conditions requisite. IL IS merely my
thought that II few negrOeS-and there many
willing to avail themselves of the OppOrtUnity-wers
to go to the Soudan country. and by their industry
become the magnet to the many. Just the set
Element OF pioneer Germans at Germantown and
Of Tim HOoley on the Delaware. attracted their
countrymen, and as the coming OF John Ericsson
resulted in the migration OF the Scandtnavians
believe the American negro pioneers in the SOudan
would attract great numbers OF the race 70 the
fruitful fields OF Africa