The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-09-03
MIR. BRUNER'S LECTURE.
The Department of Agriculture. The
Negro.

| In his speech before the convention
on immigration, Mr.. r. K. Bruner
secretary to the Board Of Agriculture
spoke of the board. He said
THE Board of Agriculture has been
and is today the great fostering agent
in the State in furthering development
and encouraging every movement
which tends to advance our material
| interests. Under the constitution it
| is the Department of Agriculture, I'M
migration and Statistics. Upon this
basic law legislation has empowered
| it to do many things.
1T now collects and disseminates
information about the State 1t studies
all the phases of the States agricul-
turc and horticulture and advises those
engaged in those pursuits. 1t conducts
test farms in various parts of the State
for the benefit of the farmers. 1t
controls infectious diseases of domeS-
tic animals 1t investigates diseases
of plants and fruit trees and suggests
remedies therefor. 1t conducts quar-
antine for the suppression of splenic
or Texas fever in cattle. 1t inveSti-
gates the ravages of insects, studies
remedies for their abatement, and in
spects nurseries. 1t inSpects fertilizers
and guarantees protection to purchas-
ers against fraud. 1t analyses fertili-
zerS, soils and waters. 1t conducts, in
conjunction with the United States
Government, the soil and drainage sur
veys of the State. It analyses foods
under the Pure Food laws, and con-
trolls concentrated commercial feed
stuffs. 1t identifies minerals, plants
and animals. 1t holds Farmers In
stitutes in nearly all of the counties
of the State. 1t maintains a Museum
of resources and natural history. Dur
ing the last thirty years it has con-
Quoted fish hatcheries and has held
many eXpOsitionS to advertise the
State.
These expositionS were the most
effective means of advertising to the
world our resources of field, forest,
factory and mine. Along with this
fundamental work a steady stream of
attractive and entertaining literature
has been sent broadcast to the four
corners of the earth This is the
foundation which has been laid by the
Board of Agriculture and upon which
the future of the State is to be built;
it is the expansion along all these
lines that has caused the call for more
labor"
The Negro i'm the Way of Progress.
In speaking of the negro, Mr.. Bruner
said:
Complaints come from all quar-
ters- that the negro as a laborer, has
outlived his usefulness. With his
freedom and his limited education he
has chosen to leave the farm; to go
out Of the State; to Congregate in the
towns: to do anything except work in
the field. He is prone to idleness as
the sparks are to fly upward. He is
careless. improvident, Indifferent and
altogether unreliable as farm hand.
Such are the complaints.
Look about YOU The progress of
our people during the last three de-
cades has been marked We have in
creased in store and we have built in
many waste places What part of this
progress is due to the energy and the
brain of the negro? Our mills. our fac
tories, and our commerce are the work
of our white population. 1t has been
accomplished in spite of our indus
trial incubus; in spite of the fact
of his education; in spite Of the fact
that as soon as he can read and write
he quits labor. Think for d moment
what might have been accomplished,
in this salubriOus and fertile South
land had Sherman and Stoneman aud
Grant taken with them the whole ne
gro population, when they left us
penniless on our battle-Scarred fields.
Beyond conjecture, no development in
the West could have compared with 1t.
Truly the burden has been grievous
and we have borne it with patience.
We have done well, under the condi-
tons confronting us. | feel greatly
encouraged for the future when [
see our people reaching out after bet
ter men, better methods and better
morals
To-day, as never before in tho his
tory of the State, the demand for la
Dor is imperative. Our people are
conservative; they have been schooled
in patience, self-deniaI and forbcar-
ance until these characteristics are
as well grounded as the cardinal vir
tues This call comes from - convic-
ton of the hopelessness of further de-
pendenCe upon the old regime: it must
and will be needed. When our peO-
pie once reach a conclusion in a mat
ter, it's accomplishment is only
question of detail