The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1919-09-05
THE FUTURE OF
THE NEGRO RACE
lBy A. r. Edmonston.l

JeucTSOH SiIy, hO., aug. e. L hc
problem of what can be done to in
crease the prosperity of negroes and
make them more useful, give the race
a pursuit which, not alone, will prove
profitable, but also open channel
through which these people can ele-
vate themselves, and educate and
otherwise properly rear their children,
so that these offsprings will in turn,
become energetic, thrifty, law abid-
ing citizens, calls attention to the sue
cess Etheopians have met with in
Missouri in agriculture, announces adj
vance information from the 1919 Red
Book of the Missouri Bureau of La
Dor statistics, publication which
dclves into and statistically and other
wise reviews sociological proposition
of current interest and Importance.
According to the latest available
statistics of the United States De-
partment of Census, Missouri ne
groes actively engaged in agriculture
in the State own or operate 1856
farms, which, together with all build
ing and other properties included
Herewith, have an aggregate value Of
$12,322,243. The farm land alone is
worth $l0,556,515, the buildings which
serve as homes, barns, elevators, gran
aries, and all stables, stock shelters,
Sheds and other structures, either of
brick, wood, concrete, or constructed
from other material, including silos,
81 ,449, 1926, and tools, machinery, We
hicles and other similar property, $751;
900. 1t is figured that the live stock
and poultry on these farms in the
spring of 1919 had farm worth of
$3,546,254.
The acreage in the 1866 Missouri
farms owned or operated by negroes
totals 299,255, consisting of $4,000
acres of improved land, 5O,424 acres
of woodland and $3.50 acres in wa
ter or used for other purposes.
The negroes owning or operating
the 1856 Missouri farms considered
in the sociological treatise Of the Mis-
souri, Bureau Of Labor Statistics in
1918, produced farm crops, live stock,
poultry and eggs, butter and milk and
other commodities with farm value
of $3,750,000. After supplying their
own wants these colored farmers, for
the residue, constituting the major
portion, easily realized $3,000,000.
When it comes to the pre-eminence
of negro farmers in Missouri counties,
with each considered living, practical
bly,, on the fat of the land and putting
away money for rainy day, Gala
way county headed the list, with 27S
| farms, worth total of $631 900 thus
owned or operated. Pike county came
next with FOG farms, worth total of
| SIT, 402, or owned or operated by ne
groes. New Madrid county was a
good third, with 203 farms owned or
operated by negroes, all happy and
| prosperous, since their holdings, in
the aggregate, had a worth Of $685.
$40.
Other Missouri counties with over
100 farms owned or operated by ne
groes, and aggregate worths are:
Saline county, Isl farms, worth $780,
AS; Lincoln county, 1870 farms, worth
1928, 173; Mississippi county, 1856
farms, worth 385,510; Randolph coun-
ty, 1O4 farms, worth $295,770; Char
iton county, 1876 farms, worth $3S4,-
PCS; Cooper county, 1873 farms, worth
$685., 269; Howard county, 118 farms,
worth $273,5S4.
On the outskirts of st. Louis city,
but within the city limits, are elght
farms with an aggregate worth of
$5G,963, owned or operated by Africo-
Americans.
jackson county, including Kansas
City, reported only 81 farms, worth in
the aggregate, $311, 045 owned or OPP
Grated by negroes, Buchanan county,
including st. Joseph, reported eley-
en- farms, worth total of S166,583,
owned or operated by Etheopianss.,
Pettis county, containing Sedalia,
reported II farms containing 3,112
acres, worth total Of $192,665 owned
or operated by negroes.
Jasper county, containing Joplin,
Carthage, Webb City and other thriv-
ing communities, reported only one
farm of 26 acres, worth $4,000, owned
or operated by negroes.
| Missouri counties which reported
they are without farms owned or OPP
Grated by negroes, are: Barry, Cen
try, Hickory, MCDONALD, Oregon, Rey-
nolds, Ripley, Scotland, Shannon,
Stone, Sullivan, fancy, and Worth.
A unique feature relating to the
above exhibition of facts and figures