The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-04-07
THn pIsPAToH RICHMOND VA SUNDAY APR1n = 1a1a
ITALIAN FARMERS
SHOW MISSOURI
CONTINUED From First Puge.l


old-time native farmers who were theij
| neighbors.
4AmericanIxatfon.
The immigrants have boon in tn,
locality 80 long that they have become
thoroughly Americanized. The Older
people maintain a few OF their old.
time customs. but the present genera
ton have been brought up in American
| ways. Tho houses arc neat and well
furnished, and the Italians seem to be
more prosperous and live under better
conditions than tho Germans The
difference Ia not great but the bal
nnce is in favor o fthe Italians.
What has been accomplished by the
foreigners in this locality ls only an
example of what might be done on
large aress OF undevoloped land in
other Southern Stntea If O desirable
elias scf immigrants wsre secured and
interested in farm life.
Finobvieu.
Knobviow, another Italian colony. in
S1lssouri 10 in Phelps county, In the
heart OF the OzarkS, ninety-hve miles
west OF St Louis. on the Lille OF the
Frisco Railroad running from ST
Louis to Springfield. The forty odd
italian farms are scattered over three
land sections, occupying all OF the
railroad land available in this To-
cality In 1925. The italian farms
average forty acres in extent, about
one-half OF which is usually cleared
OF the original timber and set out in
apple trees and grape vines. Tomatoes
are grown extensively to supply the
demand of the local canning factory
Poultry, butter and cheese are sold in
small quantities. though the greater
part OF these products Is sold to sup
ply the tables OF the Italians them
selves. Wheat, oats and corn also are
raised and sold to grain buyers in
the neighboring towns,
Tho Origin of the Settlement
Eleven year1 ago forty italian fami-
lies came to knobview with practical
ly nothing. to a. soil that was said to
be unproductivc. Out Of this hllly,
worn-out land, by years OF incessant
toll, they havo built up farming
community that is q credit to them
selves and to this section of Missouri
Many OF these Italians arrived in
the United 6tatee in 1896. coming d.
rectly from their homes in Northern
Italy to the plantation OF tho Corbin
Plantation Company. at Sunnyside,
Arkansas. Sickness and numerous
other causes forced many of them 10
leave that locality. and & committee
neishoorhood for settlement THE
committee went to St Louis, and there
met the immigrant agent of the Frisco
Railroad, who showed them three sec
lions o! land owned by the railroad
at knobview. After visiting various
other localities In the Southwest, two
OF the committee reported IN favor OF
knooview and the third in favor OF
Tontitown, Ark. In consequence OF
81 x-t stEr. tai.
separated into three parties. One de-
cioed 10 Eettle in knobview. the second
to go TO Tontitown, and the rest deter
mined TO fight II out at Sunnyside.
In January, 1898. ten Italians, leev-
ing their families al Sunnyside, came
to knobv!ew and began 10 build
houses to shelter the first group of
colonists. Lumber was shipped from
ST. Louis in cHrloud lots and houses
went up rapidly. Each family bought
twenty. forty or eighty acres OF un-
improved land from the railroad, pay
Ing an average OF So per acre. 1t is
SAID the thirty families had less than
$1,000 among them, and the land was
necessarily purchased on credit
How the Land Wa Paid For.
Since tho Italians originally had
very little money among them, the
ALOA 16l ZIG lOwLS
were at tirst reluctant about giving
them credit. For the first few years
hey had 10 depend quite largely upon
their gardens. I; was some years be-
fore living could be nude from the
newly cleared farms, and during that
time the fathers and soma were neces-
sarily absent for Sly or eight months
avery year. Some found employment
In the coal mines OF Illinois, others
on railroad construction work in Mis-
souri,. At times there were as many
as nifty or sixty men working away
from home. leaving tho women and
ch!ldren 10 carry on tho farm work. AT
present number OF men and boys con-
tinue this practice. for some OF the
YARNS are not YET productive. On the
other hand, there Is little DOUBT that
II tho Italians would clear all their
land and cultivate II thoroughly they
would be able TO make money on their
farms But they seem 10 enjoy this
rowing life, and would rather receive
fixed amount OF money at the end
OF every week than depend on the I'M
certain returns from the farms at
irregular Intervals.
1lethuds of Cultivation.
All the farms have an acre or more
in grapes, which are crushed and
mace into wine. one man is reported
"s AuN ms liaut 0vV Salvhs Oh Wine
from three iour,hs OF an acre OF
3 grapes which he estimated worth 10
cents gallon, on an average produc.
t!on OF 500 to $500 per acre.
Tonatocs are raised in large guam
titles and sold to the local canning
factory. Eight dollars a ton has been
the prevailing price during recent
years. and the farmers have averaged
SIS TO $50 per acre. recently fgw
italians have gone into the dairy!ng
business. All the Italians have Vega
/, table gardens, in which they raise {,
| wide range OF vegetables, including
tomatoes, onions beans, sweet corn
/ and potatoes. Modern farming i'm
PIGMENTS in the form OF horse pIows
ana cultivators are seen on the farms
Most Of the Italians keep one COW or
more, also horses, hogs ana chickens
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