The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1945-04-16
Carolina Farm Comment
By F. H. JETER

Few people realize the impor-
lance OF the Negro in North Car
DINA farming. About one-haf of
all the Negroes in the State are in
rural sections where they, operate
57,428 farms. These farms contain
2,723,997 acres of cultivated land
with a property valuation of $685.
293. 90 and having nearly four
million dollars worth Of machinery
and farm implements on them.
Negroes also won outright 10, oS7
farms and are part owners Of A.
337 others. These farms contain
1924 acres with valuation of
nearly 81 million dollars. The 3d.
I54 Negro tenants in North Caro-
lima operate 1858 $40 acres With a
property valuation Of nearly 81
million dollars. Finally, out of Ill
the 57,420 Negro farm operators
in the State, 44,909 of them live
and work in the 43 counties now
served with Negro farm and home
agents employed by the Agricul'
tural Extension Service. Et
The first and main job of these
Negro extension agents is to teach
their people how to live. This has
always been the fundamental idea
back of this service since it was
started in 1912. The white county
agents, of course, work with Ne.
gro farmers as they do with all
rural dwellers and they try to
bring to them the latest facts about
agriculture and home life, as well
as the latest in governmental rul-
ings. and regulations. However, the
Negro agent concerns himself .pri-
marily with making the people of
his race as Independent Of time
prices and of furnishing" as he
possibly can. 1t is fact also, that
most of the food crops produced by
North Carolina Negro farmers are
consumed on the farms where
raised. Last year, 1914, the agents
assisted 27,464 different families
in improving the food supply on
their farms by the simple expedi-
emit Of suggesting desirable chang
es in production methods. The Ne
gro agents have been giving spe-
cial attention to the production
Of gardens, fruits. meats, milk,
poultry and eggs. Because of the
new emphasis on livestock grow
ing in the State. considerable time
has, OF necessity, been given to
the growing of feed crops, includ-
ing corn, wheat, legumes and pas
lures. R. E. Jones' with headquar-
tiers at the A. & T. College at
Greensboro, heads up this Exten-
sion work with Negroes and is
progressive and .far-seeing young.
leader. He knows that the Negro
farm family must be brought along
slowly and carefully with great
emphasis on the first fundamen-
tails of. good farming and 4 rural
home life. That is why he and his
agents are spending sd much OF
their time on food production. Two
thirds Of the 43 Negro agents are
located in the old cotton-g growing
counties and it has been doubly
hard to make the farmers IN these
counties see the Importance OF
growing cash crops as. a surplus
above the needs, Of food and feed
on the home farm. -. >:
Last year, a great effort was
made to get more milk, in the
diet. Many of the reflections by
the Army on account OF physicai
handicaps was among the young
men of his race. He wants them
to have a better diet, especially
more milk and other such protec-
tive foods. For that reason, he
began a campaig n TO place more
milk COWS among the. Negro fami-