The Denver star., 1914-03-14
GOOD ADVICE TO FARMERS.
Booker T. Washington Points Out De-
feets and Offers Remedy.

In an address to II large gathering Of
farmers at the Tuskegee (Ala., insti'
| tute recently DR.. Booker T. Washing
ton in part said:
Thine and money spent every year by
farmers coming here in large numbers
will be thrown away unless each one is
determined to get something out OF
this farmers conference that he car
take home and put into practice him
self. If each one will do that these
meetings from year to year will be
worth while.
"Many of us here in the south fail to
realize as farmers the value of time.
We are continually talking about the
saving of money. but time Is just as
: valuable as money
"In not n few sections Of the south
ure people throwing away the days OF
| December. January and February but
they are just as valuable rs the days in
| March and April. In every one Of
these months something can be done
on the farm. bitches can be put In
order, fences repaired. stables and out
houses improved. the land turned over
by deep blowing. root and grain crops
cultivated, seed corn selected. tools re-
proved.
"To be perfectly plain. too large Il
proportion OF our race spend the win
ter months waiting until the LIST Of
March, when they expect some white
man to begin making advances to
them. We have now been free fifty
years. and know that throughout the
south the white man-and the colored
man, tools getting tired Of carrying
so many Negro farmers on his back
year by year through the system Of
advances We ought to be able to
help ourselves more. to carry our
selves. to provide enough grain. meat.
vegetables and other food to carry us
from year to year without having to
produced on the farm.
County or community can only
grow wealthy as 1t has large number
Of individual producers. II a man has
only what he can buy at a store he
does not increase the wealth Of the
community. Now. after fifty years let
us be free. If the colored farmers will
make up their minds to work every
month in the year. teach their wives
and children to be continually produc-
ing something in the way Of vegeta-
bles. poultry. milk and butter. while
the husband is doing his part In rails
ing something to sustain the family, it
will not be necessary for them to get
advances from anybody. Give your
wives and children a chance In the
house. At present you make them help
you in the fields. so that they have no
chance to plan meals, to raise veseta-
bles or to can fruit Give them
chance and they will make and save
as much as you do.
white people throughout the south
are beginning to see that the kind Of
farmer who brings prosperity to the
county is the one who produces more
than he consumes, owns little piece
Of land and has some money in the
bank. This kind Of man becomes an
asset instead Of liability to the
county in which he lives. When this
kind of man drives into town on Satur-
day the merchant, the banker and
everybody else welcomes him. because
he brings into town more than he
takes out
"Cultivate a little land well and sec
that your house is fit to live in and
that your wives and children have n
chance to work in the house instead of
in the field. Instead Of investing a lit
tie extra money in more land put 1t
into your house, build bathroom and
make the home in every way attrac-
tive to your children. There is no set
of black people anywhere in the world
who are permitted to occupy such
rich. genial and beautiful section OF
the country as we are. Let us make
up our minds that we are each going
to do our part to develop the farms.
the gardens, the orchards, the stock,
the poultry. the fruit, the vegetables.
and have the best Of everything. in
Guiding houses.
"In proportion as we do this there
will be less effort to replace US by an
other class OF farmers. No matter
what anybody says to the contrary.
the average southern white man likes
the Negro. likes to have him near him.
In the great. big fundamental things
Of life he is ready to encourage him, to
help him and to protect him. Any peo-
pie who can change from the type who
used to come here at the beginning Of
these conferences to the good looking.
intelligent men and women who are
here today is a great people"
Trustees Close the Eaolevills School.
The Pennsylvania Industrial School