The Lexington standard. [volume] (Lexington, Ky.) 1892-1912, 1911-10-21
NEGRO FARM INSTITUTE
MAKES GREAT SUCCESS
p. c. FARks ELECTED DIRECTOR
FARMERe URGED TO IMPROVE
THEIR METHODS OF WORK.


Atlanta, Ga.-The interest in negro
farmers institutes in Georgia culmi-
mated at Clark university by perfect
ing q permanent organization for per-
petuating this important work.
P. Q. Parks, who has done more
than any other single man ir the
state to foster this beneficial ipetitu-
ton, was unanimously elected director
OF the Georgia Colored Farmers IN
stitute. with authority 70 arrange for
another meeting neat summer.
Director Parks had on display at
tractiVe samples Of the nine different
grades of cotton which have become
the recognized standards OF cotton
classification In the markets OF the
world.
The discussion OF the grading OF cot
ton developed many valuable points
and number OF farmers offered re-
marks concerning the careful picking
and storing OF cotton &C as to insure
the highest market.
The wife of Warren Logan, the
treasurer OF Booker T. Washington's
great institution at Tuskegee, Ala.
urged those present to make a care
full and painstaking study OF the ques-
ton of the cultivation and marketing
the great staple crop OF the south in
order that they should be in position
to know positively the exact grade OF
cotton that their own product came
under, and thus enable them to die
tate to the buyer the price they ex-
pected to receive. She cited in
stances where humble colored farm
ercised care in seed selection, IL the
cultivation Of the growing crop and in
the picking of the cotton. and had il
that way outstripped their neighbors.
P. d. Johnson pleaded with the ne
groes to use greater foresight ard to
farms, where the cotton could be
stored after it came from the field,
| and said that it was far better to
store the seed cotton for a few weeks
in clean place than to rush 1t to the
| gin as soon as it was picked. He
also argued that too great haste had
| heretofore marked the harvesting OF
the crop and begged his audience to
wait until the bolls were thoroughly
ripe before they were picked; also to
be sure to remove the chaff or trash
before they deposited the lint in the
basket.
Professor Johnson dwelt on the mis-
cry of the "negro-in-debt" and hoped
the colored farmers would learn the
lesson OF frugslity and common sense
In order to escape from this great
burden
A. Bentley, an ante-bellum darby,
with snow white hair and voice that
readily lent itself to all the uses OF
oratory, made an address that sank
deeply at the tendency of the new
generation of negroes toward ire
sponsibility. He made striking con
trast between conditions as they exist
ed before the war aud as they exist
today. His speech called - rssnd the
eloGuence that marked the earlier
years of the last century, and his hear
ers gave vent to their approval by
frequent outhursts of applause.
G.. F. Hunnicutt, editor of the South
ern Cultivator. made an address on
Growing What You Eat on the
Farm" and stated that If the farmers
Of the south hoped to maintain high
price for cotton they must cease
planting every available acre OF
ground in this crop. in order to keep
from buying every article OF consump
ton at retail prices. the speaker said
they must raise more corn, oats and
hay and give greater attention &c
their gardens. He showed the enor
nous economic waste entailed by fer
tilizing and cultiYating twenty acres
ofrcotton when by fertilizing and cut
tivating only fifteen acres the farmer
would get just as much cash for his
crop AID save the labor and fertilizer
that applied on the extra five acres
while devoting those five acres TO pro
ducing things now purchased for cash
or on credit