The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-01-12
LETTERS TO EDITOR
Some Results of Training in Farming
at Tuskegee Institute

To the Editor of The Age-Herald
The question is often asked as to the
extent the former students and graduates
of Tuskegee Institute engage in actual
farming operations.
Ii should be stated that the teachers
OF the institution itself keep constantly
In mind the fact that the south is largely
an agricultural country, and that at
depend upon farmingifor their living. and
furthermore, the negro race as a whole,
is far better off when In cultlvating the
soil than In any other occupation. For
these reasons, no pains are spared to i'm
prove each year the training given in
farming and related occupations so as TO
keep the students close to the soil and
lead them to love farm life TO the ex-
tent that a large PROPORTION of them will
take up work Immediately In the country
As an immediate result of this tea hing
the school has been able to produce the
beet crop on its farm during the past
year in the history of the institution
fnis, within itself has done much to
deepen the interest of the 1900 students in
farming.
Ar further illustration of the result
or this training, in Macon county alone,
in Alabama, In which the Tuslxeeee in
sti1ute is located, there are three grad
yates of the school, to say nothing of
hundreds of others engaged in farming,
who have more than a hundred farms
or that number of colored farmers un-
der their supervision. This is one case.
out or many that might be referred to
throughout Alabama and the south
And, too, 1t is safe to state that at least
half of the men from Tuskegee institute.
who are classed as school teachers. en-
gage, to some extent. in farming, while
engaged in teaching their pupils.
Thirty OF the graduates and former stu
dcrts of the institute are teaching agri-
culture in various schools. Some of these
schools are located at Snow Hill, Ala;
Prentiss, Miss, Tallahassee. Fla. Law
reuceville. Va, Denmark, S. c.. and at
the University of Porto Rico, Porto Rico.
Eight of the graduates are working for
the United States department of agricul-
tufe as agricultural demonstration agents.
in the states of Alabama, Louisiana, Mis-
sissippi Oklahoma, South Carolina and
Virginia. The government experts IN
duce colored farmers to set aside small
portions of their land and plant and cui-
tiyate 1t under their direction. These
small plats serve as object lessons for
the communities. Thus, where farmers
raised from five to Is bushels Of corn per
acre, they gre now, because of this teach
Ing, raising from 30 to 60 bushels per acre.
W Heic lioIn ioo 10 ~ POUNDS OF lint cot
t,u were produced per acre, now from 250
tn 600 pounds per acre. On what is called
very poor land, Tuskegee students raised
on the institute farm last year 500 bushels
OF sweet potatoes per acre.
These demonstration agents do not con-
fire themselves to teaching improved
farming methods, but they also assist the
eo'cred farmers in getting better live
stock, In having better gardens, and in
improving their homes. In community
where one of these agents Is at work
a visit was recently made to 40 gardens
OF farmers by competent committee.
The committee found in these gardens.
peas. cabbage, onions tomatoes, mustard,
pepper, lettuce and carrots. Besices.
the gardens were in good condition. This
resulted from the teaching OF one grad
uate of Tuskegee institute.
A. F. OWENS.
Atlanta, Ga, January II. 1919