The broad ax. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1895-19??, 1921-12-24
Colored Agents Are Virginia Assets. Ex-
tension Work Officials Commend
Them for State Wide, Far-Sighted
Work. Colored People Are Coo perat-
ing. Over $4,000 Men, Women, and
Children Are Helped Annually.
By VIM. Anthony Asry

Hampton, Va, Dec.-Negro exten-
sion work in Virginia, which is car
red on in 80 counties by q farm
and home-demonstration agents
with 4 district agents, all of whom
are eolored, under the direction of the
Virginia A. and n. College and Poly
technic Institute of Blacksburg and
the U. s. Department of Agriculture
cooperating, and which reaches an
nually $1,000 men, women, and chill
dren, will receive Virginia appropria-
tons, July, 1921, to June 1922 amount
ing to $4,000. according to a recent
statement made by John B. Pierce, a
Hampton graduate, who is the field
agent for the Negro county-agent
work in Virginia and six other South
ern states, before the agents annual
tour-day meeting which was held at
Hampton Institute on Aims, Methods
and Results of Extension Service"
When we begin this demonstration
work" he said, Eve had no local aid
in any county. Now every county
helps and 80 per cent of this aid
comes from public funds. The vital
need of colored people is better home
life"
John r. Hutcheson of Blscksburg,
who is the State director of extension
service for Virginia, declared that
the battles of peace that American
farmers are facing are harder than
the battles of war that most of them
faced"
Director Hutchinson paid a warm
tribute to the colored Virginia agents,
who are trying to bring about the
kind of farming conditions that we
want and should have in this coun-
try" He added: Hampton Insti-
tute, the State Agricultural College,
and the u. s. Department of Agri-
culture are trying TO adjust these con-
ditions."
Better Farming Is Needed
Dr. James E. Gregg, principal of
Hampton Institute. in opening the con-
ference, summarized the world food
situation, as recently stated in "World
Agriculture" by E. NJ. East of Har-
ward: There are about l,7S0,00O,0O0
human beings on the earth to be fed
-l,750,O00,0O0 human engines to be
stocked with food three times a day. 1t
is estimated that about two and one
half acres Of and are commonly need
ed to support each individual. There
are approximately l,300.OO0.OOO tillable
acres of land in the world, of which not
half are being cultivated. The maxi
mum population which the earth can
be expected to support is 5000, 0O0, 900.
We have not reached that figure yet.
but we are nearing it.
"Since it will become increasingly
difficult to get the food that is needed,
good farming is going to be more than
ever necessary. We must mix more
brains into our work We are rightly
giving more attention to cooperative
buying and selling. There is the need
of improving community life and of
bringing people together. The farmer
must be made to feel that he has real
neighbors in thought and feeling. This
Improvement in country life is an all
round thing; it touches not only ma
terial things, but also religion, family
life, and everyday, old-fashioned
Negroes Help the South
Virginia's leadership in colored farm
work was vouched for
by /. o. Schaub, field agent for the
States Relations Service white work
in Virginia, South Carolina, West Vir-
Zinia, Tennessee, Arkansas, and Louisi-
ana. who quoted Director Hutcheson's
note on submitting the Virginia pro-
gram to the federal officials: Il want
to call your attention to the program
of the Negroes of Virginia: you will
not find any better in the state"
There are today in the southern
states l65 or 10 Negro men and
women" said Professor Schaub, who |
are working primarily for their race
and are teaching farm men and women
10 know what to do and how to apply |
common sense to their everyday bust
ness White and colored agents are
mutually helpful to each other. The
white Virginia agents made a hne
showing at BIacksburg, but they did
not beat the colored agents, when IT
came TO conducting a meeting and put
ing over a job"
Negro Farmers Make Good
That those men and women who
70 out to do demonstration work ard
,elp in solving problems of the home
md farm, must be equipped with agri-
.uIturaI information, as well as with
,griculturai inspiration, was the con-
fusion stated BY w. A Lloyd, Wash
upton. D. C, who is IN charge OF
,ouutv agent work. North and West