The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-06-18

I taught agriculture In the Conroe
College, Conroe, Texas; but 1 was
not satisfied at this, and have since
been farming myself, and in addi-
tion. L conduct a grocery and dry
goods store. I have sixteen acres
of fine white potatoes planted, which
will be ready for the market soon.
also have forty-five acres of corn
in cultivation. am Interested In
swine raising and have twenty-five
head of good hogs. L will never
forget the training which I received
at Tuskegee Institute and regret
that l was not able to finish the
course"
James e. Edwards, another former
student of the agricultural depart
ment, has charge of the Home Dairy
ing Co. Montgomery. He Is also
a breeder of fine chickens, making
a speciality of Leghorns and Barred
Plymouth Rocks. In "a recent re-
port, he said: Il count 1t pleasure
to let you know something of the
work which l have done since Ieav-
ing Tuskegee Institute in 1904. 1
wfnt to Shreveport. Louisiana.
where l spent two and one-ha1f
years in the dairying business. In
1907 | came to Montgomery. In ad-
dition to managing dairy for
white company. own poultry
yard, and am meeting with success.
/ own one and one-half acres of
land and five room house,
Charles Lewis williams, who left
Tuskegee Institute in 1893 has for
twelve years been successful farm,
er at his home, Waugh. Alabama. II /
owns his home, his farm and is II
valuable man in his community.
Charles T.. Bynes. who gradual ed
from the school in 1902, Is a sue
cessful farmer at Millen, Georgia
James II. Nichols, who graduated
in 1907. is farming and preaching in
Mississippi.
Charles NJ Jones. Horace II. Ben
nett and jerry II. McCord are farm
ers at Stallo. Mississippi. Jones Is
machinist. and McCord runs a black
smith shop and Is ar all round work.
man for the community number
of his white neighbors recently
sent the following interesting tes-
timonial
''To whom IL may concern: This
is to certify that we, the undersg1l-
ed, are well acquainted with j. d.
McCord tcolored), and know him to
be an energetic man. He is making
a success on his farm near Stallo,
Mississippi. He bought his farm
on credit and now has 1T paid for
He is also a good blacksmith and
stands well in the community.
"(Signed) ID. G. Moore. sheriff:
r. b. Dewers, clerk of circuit court;
f. L. Bryan. county superientendent:
ID. Marlborough, banker; John o.
Gresham. mayor, StaIlo: w. A. Nc
Kee. marshal, Stallos W.. G. Snow
justice of the peace; J. ID. King"
Luther Boyd Pettiford. son OF Dr.
w. II. Pettiford. president of the
Alabama Penny Savings Bank, who
for two years was a, student In
Agriculture at Tuskegee Institute
and received diploma last year
from the Agricultural Department,
has recently engaged in, farming at
Bangor. Alabama, few miles north
of Birmingham, in the peach belt
III partnership with j. W. Williams,
d young business man of Birming-
ham. 700 acres of land have been
purchased. They will engage in
truck, fruit and general farming.
The purpose is to raise large quaint
tiles of peaches. potatoes. peas, etc,
for the Birmingham and other mar
kets. Stock will also be raised. The
farm will be actively superintended
by Pettiford. William Pernell Smith,
who also received a certificate in
Agriculture from Tuskegee Institute
in 1912, Is working for Pettiford
and Williams.
In Macon county, where Tuskegee
Institute Is located, the Negroes own
some $4,000 acres of land. Much of
this is owned by graduates and for
mer students of the school. and who
are the largest laEdholders in the
county.
Perhaps the greatest result of
Tuskegees Agricultural teaching
and training has been in the eject
upon the mass OF the Negroes. There
is generally among them much
higher regard for the man who tills
the soil. For twenty-five years the J
Annual Tuskegee Negro Conference
has urged the masses to remain on
the soil, to become better farmers
buy land. improve their homes. and
in every way become more useful to
the community in which they live.
The recent census reports indicate
that these teachings ere being put
into practice. The percentage of
Negro Farmers for the ten years.
1900 to l910. rapidly increased The
Negro Farmers are cultivating
AZ 100000 acres of land in the south
The value of the farm property
which they own Increased from
sl77,404,6SS to s492,s9S.21s or III
per cent.
Commenting on this, DR., Booker
r. Washington. in a recent article in
the North American Review. said:
whatever else this increase of
Negro Farmers may seem it certain
ly indicates that in proportion to
their numbers. and in spite of cer-
tain amount of Negro emigration to
the north and a considerable immi-
grafton of the white people to the
south Negroes are entering in pro-
portionately larger numbers into
farming in the south and becoming
more and more responsible, either