New-York tribune., 1906-12-23
a COLLEGE, ON WHEELS
Hoo agricultural Instruction Is
GiUen to Negroes an the South.

This year Morris K. Jesup set on foot an expedi-
bon about which little has been heard 1t is not
An ex., dition to discover the North Pole or an
enterprise to study the habits of the peoples in
the ncighborhood of Bering Strait On the con-
trary its field is the of agricultural igno-
rance to be found in the Black Belt. 1t car
ries no sedges, coal. no piles OF sleeping
bags, no icebreakng machines Instead or
ship the vehicle is a wagon Instead OF sup
plies of concentrated food it carries samples OF
choice vegetables In the place of machinery
for repairing breakdowns 1t carries ploughs,
planters a cultvator. a cotton chopper. vari-
ETY. Of seeds samples of fertilizers, a revolving
churn a butter mould. a cream separator and
a milk tester No maritime charts are part Of
the equipment of this expedition. Their places
are taken bv charts of COWS with udders or f1ve
gallons capacity at the very least and charts
showing by comparison the difference between
plants grown from seeds sown upon unfertilized
and stony ground and those spring1ng from seeds
strewn upon good ground properly prepareu'
Instead of engines. the motive power OF TINS
vehicle is pair of houlely mules In fact' this
expedition is an agricultural college on Wheels
going about Macon County, Ala, under the aus
pices of the Tuskeg.e Institute. 1t is a nlssloh-
ary enterprise intended to reach the parents VINO
are too much occupied in supporting the pres
to have an opportunity to take advantage of the
Institutes courses 1t carries to these the gos-
pei OF more profitable methods of working their
patches of ground
On some fine morning an odd looking wagon
draws up in front of plantation. Over the can
vas side appears the legend, 1.-The Jesup Agr1-
cultural Wagon" Seated In 1t are a couple OF
neatly dressed Negroes. In the field is Negro
In overaIs, undershirt and ragged straw hat
AS he shouts at the mule and jerks on the
plough handles his face grows shiny with moist
ure. The toiling Negro stops when he gets
around near the wagon to discover what 1t Is
He watches with interest mopping his face the
while as a modern labor saving plough Is lifted
out and carried into the field.
What you alls gwine do?" he inquiries
The plough deposited In the feld, the per-
spring Negro is invited to hitch his mule to 1t
and il.
, THAT may be good plough for some," he
xays, 'but for ne, give me the old 'scutter.'-
He is persuaded to use II, however. for few
5inutes Then he Is asked to compare the
amount Of work done and the character of the
furrow with that done and turned by his old I'm
element He can hardly be separated from the
oew plough after the convincing test
At another time the wagon draws up IN front
of a plantation where the corn IS being labori-
Ously ploughed over. When the possibilities OF
q cultvator that will make seven burrows while
one is being turned by the old style implement,
and using only one animal, have been demon
strated. there Is the difficulty IN parting
from the farmer. In substance, he utters the
language of the testimonial writer: IF could
not secure another would not part with this
one for five times its cost" He resolves to own
one himself, and in course OF time he Is the
pleased possessor of a labor saving device
Thus is the lesson Of improved machinery
taught
After the farmers IN given locality have
ceivod taste of the scientific method Of max
ing the ground living, an open air
mass meeting. to be held at some central point,
Is announced From the agricultural gospel
wagon rostrum the assembled colored men
and women and curious barelegged children
with great. rolling eyes, are told of the best and
most economical ways of doing things and why