Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1913-02-14

III The question II often asked - Il
The extent the former students and
graduates OF Tuskegee Institute en-
gage In actual farming operations. II
should be stated that the teachers Of
the Institution itselS keep constantly
"a mind the fact that the south II
largely m agricultural country. and
that at least eighty per cent. OF the
colored people depend upon farming
for their living. and. furthermore. the
negro race a. whole II far better
on when in cultivating the soil than
In any ether occupation. For these
reasons no pains are spared to i'm
prove each year the training given in
farming and related occupations 20 as
to keep the student close to the soil
and lead them to love farm life to the
extent that large proportion OF them
will take up work Immediately In the
country. As an immediate result OF
this teaching the school has been able
70 produce the best crop on its farm
during the past year In the history of
the institution. This within itself has
done much to deepen the interest of
the sixteen hundred students in farm
Ing. As further Illustration OF the
result OF this training. In Macon coun-
~ alone. In Alabama, In which the
Tuskegee Institute is located, there
are three graduates OF the school. to
say nothing OF hundreds Of others en-
gagged in farming. who have more
than hundred farms or that number
of colored farmers under their super
vision. This one case. out Of many
that might be referred to throughout
Alabama and the south And. too. It
IL safe to state that at least half of
the men from Tuskegee Institute,
who are classed as scnocl teachers,
engage. to some extent. In farming
while engaged In teaching their pu-
pills. Thirty Of the graduates and for
mar students Of the institute are
teaching agriculture in various
schools. Some OF these schools are
located at Snow Hill. Ala: Prentiss,
Miss: Tallahassee. Fla: Lawrence
vile, 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
agriculture as agricultural demonstra-
ton agents In the states of Alabama.
Louisiana. Mississippi. Oklahoma.
South Carolina and Virginia The
government experts induce colored
farmers to set aside email portions O.
their land and plant and cultivate it
under their direction. These small
plots serve as object lessons for the
communities. Thus. where farmers
raised from fiye to fifteen bushels Of
corn per acre. they are now, because
81 this teaching. raising from thirty
g sixty bushels per acre Where from
$50 70 200 pounds Of lint cotton were
produced per acre. now from $50 to
500 bushels per acre. On what Is
called very poor land Tuskegee stu.
dents raised on the institute farm last
year 500 bushels OF sweet potatoes
per acre. These demonstration agents
DO not confine themselves to teach
Ing improved farming methods. but
they also assist the cclored farmers
N getting better live stock. in having
better gardens, and in improving
their homes. In community where
one OF these agents is at work visit
was made recently to forty gardens OF
farmers by competent committee.
The committee found in these gardens
peas, cabbage. onions, tomatoes. mus
fard. pepper, lettuce and carrots. Be
sides. the gardens were in good con-
difion This resulted from the teach
ing OF one graduate CT Tuskegee insti:
tute.