The Prescott daily news., 1914-12-07
BOOKER T. WASHINGTON
 WRITES TO NEGRO FARMERS
President of Tuskegee Institute Ad- dresses Second Communication Advising Disseminating the
 Growing of Cotton.
Editor, The News,
 Prescott, Arkansas.

ern papers, l made suggestion that each Negro :amily raise one or more additional pigs this year in order to help bring about more prosperity in the South. have been surprised to note how we'll the suggestion has been received, and how many are following it; one minister in Uniontown, Ala, went so far as to organize a Pig Club in his church.
 Now, want to make one other sug gestion, that, in my opinion, is of still greater and more practical impor tance. For months the great cry has been all through the South to stop growing cotton or reduce the acreage. Chambers of Commerce, Business Leagues, State Legislatures, and other bodies have passed resolutions without number urging that we in the South stop growing so much cotton. To stop growing cotton is very easy; in fact it is always easy to stop work, but merely to stop growing cotton is a mere negative proposition and will not fear, leave the South much bet ter off than it is at present. If we destroy, or cripple a great industry, we should be very sure to have one, or number of equally good to put in | it's place. In addition it should be kept in mind as matter of great inn 4Lot ho To hN the farm by reason of changing crops it will be very difficult to get the labor to return to the farm in after years.
 The great cry is to grow food crops. That is well, but one must keep in mind that the geat masses of Negroes who have actually grown the most of the cotton in the South for years, and who live upon the most valuable land in the South do not hear of the resolutions that are passed by these various bodies. These people have been trained to grow nothing but cot ton and do not know how to grow lanything else. In fact, in many cases they have not been permitted and are not now permitted to grow anything else.
 | We must also bear in mind that the largest land owners seldom visit their plantations-some not more than once or twice year, and hence can be of little service in teaching these Negro tenants how to change all at once from a cotton producing crop to food producing crop.
 If permanent results are to be se- cured, the Negro who actually culti- yates the land must be reached and trained into growing a food -produc- ing crop.How can this be done? My answer would be, by putting Negro Farm Demonstration Agent into ev- CT county of the South where there is any considerable number of Negro farmers. This Negro Demonstration Agent should be a man of good com mon sense. He should be a man who knows the characteristics of the col ored people, who knows how to reach them in and through their societies, their churches and their various or ganiZations of one kind or another. He should be man required to travel from one farm to another throughout the country training the Negro farm CT how to produce food crop. Where ever these Demonstration Agents have already been at work in the South, they have done work which has been most helpful and commendable.
 If this important work is to be done, no time should be lost in selecting these demonstration agents The cost should not be very large Either through county appropriations or from some part of the State funds ap- propriated for agricultural purposes, a portion of the money for the salary perhaps could be provided Appro- priations are also being made by the United States Government to encou- rage and promote various kinds of agricultural work. Some part of this money, feel sure, might be secured from the Smith-Lever Fund or from 1 the United States Demonstration Fund administered through Dr. Brad ford Knapp. While I am not in posi- tion to suggest just where the money may be secured, I think that if an earnest effort is made, some portion of it can be secured from some of the funds or agencies here mentioned.
 Booker T, Washington.