The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-03-03
ITALIAN FARMERS
. IN The SOUTHLA
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| A. number OF colonies, notably in
Texas and Louisiana. seem to have
originated In the purchase of few
acres OF land by some Italian farm,
iaoorer. who arriving practically with.
out money at a Southern port OF entry
sought employment on a neighborinc
plantation, number OF the straw
9eTIy growers of Tang.pahoa Parish,
| ers who came out from New Orleans.
Italian truckers In Texas were urban
Gay laborers, who bought Il few. acres
near the city, and lie; their families
raise vegetables. Arst Tor homo use
and later for the retail. trade. Some
te" colonies have heen promoted 9th.
or ny Italian philanthrop!sts o. by
! land companies,
Not many Italians VINO we're skilled
workman In the trades OF industries.
mere or abroad. have moved To farms
and comparatively few who, upon land
!hs' round permanent unskilled worl: IA
industries later engaged In aericul
| tural pursuits. But, notably In TEXAS
,he building OF railroads has broug III
IL number OF South Italians, chieflv
sicilians, some few OF whom have be
come either tenants or independcn, pro
pfietorh Of small market gardens or
- 49, Ah4.'.S' IL Dc asserted l.
huenually that there las been no
marked shift OF Italians from indus
trial pursuits or from city employments
70 FARMS IN the Southern States In
'lissouri and Arkansas. indeed. many
lta!'ah farmers supplement thei. In
comes bS' labor In the Goa! mines dur.
! ms the winter; otherwise the colonies
are purely agricultural
mere Ia. moreover. I somewhat de-
Z N "a nr1.ats
trict5 where certain planters cmplov
large numbers of Italians as farm
laborers. to the cotton nelds and trucl;
farms farther North
Segregation and Why.
The tendency OF the Italian To con
sIesate by race groups IS very marked,
Where once colony is started. tho
subsequent immigrants gather about
the hrst nucleus, purchasing the neigh
boring unimproved land or the OLD
farms OF original owners. This eroup-
Ing is not characteristic peculiar
10 the Italians. Bohemians, Poles.
SWISS ard other non-AnSlo- Saxon races
are likely TO settle in rather close
groups. The effect OF this segregation
on the price OF land is very noticca 81
III some districts. especially where the
Italians have developed specialized
form OF agriculture. Land within the
I
quently 80 per cent. higher than land
OF the same fertility situated a short
distance outside Of the boundary lines.
segregation. too. has tendency TO per-
petuate racial customs, traditions and
, characteristics. There are few ..mcri-
car whites with whom italians can as
sociate, and in no case docs there seem
10 be any inclination 10 minglc with
the negroes more than is necessary
There is decided contrast between
the attitude of certain North Italian
and most Sic!lian colonies In the South
with respect to segregation. Where op-
tportuniiy Is afforded the North Italian
Scei.-7 20 desire 70 mingle with the
AI<rlcans, to learn the English Ian
etage, to sivc his children an educa-
ton. to become citizen and to cNer-
Csc the pcrogatives of citizenship. In
fewer instances is this true or the
South italians or the Siclians.
The Itnlinn Farmer.
The Italians are small farmers. Few
are engaged in any form OF aEricul.
tural enterprise requiring an outlay OF
rice growers or large farmers of any
kind among them. They prefer to
take small holdings Of land which
they can work together with the help
Of their families. The Italians are
careful in their cultivation of land,
very attentive to details and are not
wastcful. They make their farms sup
ply their tables so far as possible Very
few innovations can DC credited to tn am
As a rule. they are ipitators Of the
native born farmers. By living cheap
~ they soon accumulate some money.
land except in the cotton districts. in