The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-05-27
The Richmond NAY ~ 1918.
SOLDIERS RETURNING
TO WORK ON THE FARM

Especial to The Richmond virginian.)
Blacksburg. Va. May 26.--In spite
OF letters and newspaper articles to
the contrary. the soldier boys who
went from the farm into the army
are not baking at farm wor on
director Of the Extension division,
Virginia Polytechnic institute.
Accurate information gathered
from the camps around Newport
News and Camp Lee shows that only
30 per cent OF soldier boys who
were raised OF arms are not return
Ing thereon. The common feeling OF
the men o ever seas Is that they
want to get back to the farm as
o 0 as possible as the season Is get
ting late. A few who are not plan
ming to go back to the farms are ten
ants or have been farming with their
lone and it will not be possible to
rent at this time of the year OF
planting is don and the season is SO
late / cannot help very much this
year These men say they don't de-
sire to farm any other way but say
they intend to resume their farming
next ear
TT has developed that a large num-
her of farmers badly needed on their
farms are still held in service. This
is true. not only at the ps men
toned. but at a great man others as
well. because the war department
ruled thai other men could be hired
TO do farm work. Quite a number of
men who are rot returning to the
farm are disabled and are, not able to
do the heavy work thereon. yet 1t is
interesting to krow hat at Camp Lee
bou 30 per cent Of the disabled men
applying FOR vocational training in
agriculture were not pre-war farmers
hut were those who had drifted away
the FARM. A very small percent
age had actually done any farming
at all.
"One man who received a disa bilitv
rating of 100 per cent will take an
agricultural course offered by the fed
eral board for vocational education.
Not even total disability will cause
him to give up farming. For every
three men who have decided they
will not return 70 the farm. there are
two to tax" their place who were not
armer when they went into the
army. so the loss to farms will actu-
ally he less han l per cent.
This same attitude is held by the
colored men. The 'Eayonet.' pub
iished at Camp Lee says: 'Coiored
men are taking keen interest in agri-
culture n ii would seem that they
arc more enthusiastic about taking 1t
up IMAM TINS whites. This is most
encouraging as heretofore interest has
Jagged. in This line of work. and In
consideration Il the many available
opportunities offered by the United
States government II is presumed tina !
farming is coming to the front.
Out of c0.S3o men who have been
transferred or discharged from Aprii
20 to May 10. who were interviewed.
some had the feeling that since they |
had done their duty they were en-
titled to live on their parents for the
rest of th"ir lives. Fortunately this
is the attitude Of a very few. The I
Extension division and the United
states department Of agriculture. CO.
operating, have had two men at camps
around Newport News. and one man
at Camp Lee, and for two weeks they |
had two men talking to the soldiers !
In the cam rs arourd New York. While
there they talked to 5000 troops
and report conditions aim ost the same
as in Virginia. a report from Camp !
Devon, Mass, says that COL per cent
of the soldiers returning from that
canp were from farms. In Virginia /
for the period mentioned 1876 per
cent OF 3.aa3 Of the soldiers going
through. were from the farms.
The mon stationed at these camrs. |
besides Interviewing the soldiers as to
what assistance can he rendered them
in securing positions OF farms, are