Pioneer press. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1882-19??, 1916-03-11
By w. ANTHONY AERY.

By w. ANTHONY AERY.
There Is now vast number OF col.
ored farmers in the south. working
millions and millions Of acres rich in
possibilities. and yet only small frac
ton Of this land is rated as improve,
land. According to the census OF 1910
there were in the south SOCIAL colored
farmers (2S.7 per cent Of the total
number OF farncrs) working 1900
III acres az per cent Of the total farm
arreage), Of which 27,735,743 acres
Tor 1874 per cent? were reported as i'm
proved land.
Colored farmers control nearly n bill
lion dollars worth Of land and build
IS IN the south. and still they control
oAly One-eighth Of the land and build.
HSs on all the farms In the south.
The value Of the land and buildings
uN'.er the control Of all the colored
farmers was given at 5000, 1872, 1884
CO. per cent Of the total value OF
land and buildings for all farms In the
soutD as against $3.50, $50. 9G3 dig per
cent? for 1900.
That the Negro farmer Is going for
ward by leaps and bounds in the DOS
session and control Of property. how
ever, Is clearly shown by the census
figures Of 1900 and 1910. Even where
the Negro has many disadvantages to
race he Is making progress.
The 21S,467 colored farm owners in
1910 held land and buildings valued at
$272,992, 23S (4.9 per cent as against
$loe,619,329 (3.7 per cent? in 1900. The
owners were distributed as follows.
South Atlantic states. 1O1,0G1: east
south central, 59.T37; west south cen
trail. 57,769.
AS long as the colored tenant farm
ers, however, outnumber the colorec'
farm owners three to one and as long
as the tenant farmers have under theiy
control a proportional amount Of land
and buildings which they may use
wisely and we'll or utterly abuse
through sheer ignorance the tenant
problem and, indeed. the whole land
problem for the white south will be a
pressing and serious one
The 67O,474 colored tenant farmers
In 1910 titled 26,567,SO2 acres, Of which
2OO96,375 were reported as improved
lana. These tenants were using land
ana buildings valued at $G16,76S, 147
GA per cent? as against $26S, 1T, $50
(S.2 per cent? I'm 1900 These colored
tenants were distributed as follows:
South Atlantic states, 53,1S1; east
SN11fh
trail, 51,O61
II the Negro tenant Is not taught
how to treat the land properly and in
crease his earning power the whole
south will suffer tremendous econom-
&c loss. When more than rs per cent
or the Negro farmers are tenants there
Is important work still to be done
along agricultural lines through the
public schools, the private institutions,
the state departments Of agriculture
and the press to help the tenants raise
themselves into the class Of owners.
This Improvement for many. many
white farmers has already come about.
If the south Is to make the progress
1t should there are still too many
white tenants as compared with white
farm owners.
One Of the most hopeful signs Of
progress, however. IS the perccntile in.
crease in Negro farmers. the amount
OF improved land held by them and the
value Of land and buildings they con-
n0l. In the south. according to the
census OF 1910. 24.5 Per cent Of the
colored farmers were owners, Oh per