Jackson advocate. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1939-current, 1953-01-03
Agriculture 49,.
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from one-crop farming. They say
it's getting harder and harder to
find a farmer who is putting all
his eggs in one cotton or tobacco
basket
AS examples, the two leaders
point to thousands of farmers like
Monroe Fluellen of Fort Valley,
Ga, who raises variety of crops
such as cotton, cattle, hogs, poul
try, peanuts, hay, wheat, sugar
cane, corn, and such truck crops
as tomatoes, string beans, peas,
sweetpotatoes, okra, and canta-
lOups.
Or they cite others like Mute
Smith of Mariana, Ark, who
turns out six dozen brooms a day
in addition to farming cotton and
raising livestock. Or still others
like Andrew Bowers of Bascom,
Fla, who has a grade A dairy
along with his cotton, peanuts,
hogs, and timber. They say Mr..
Bowers has been planting a few
hundred trees every year since
1910. Ultimately this will be one
of his important cash crops.
AS result of diversification and
better farming methods, say Nit
chell and Campbell, has come an
other important sign of progress
among colored farmers-the trend
toward better housing and better
living.
But all is not rosy, they add.
While about a fourth of the color
ed farmers are making real pro-
gress, some of the rest are not
doing well, even failing.
One of the main causes of fai
ure is the lack of acres for sound
farming program. While the aver
age size of farms operated by
white farmers in the South is a
bout 100 acres, that for colOred
farmers is less than so acres, much
of which is eroded and unproduc-
tive
On the deficit side, too, is the
loss of 5000 farms in the South
since 1915 when the ownership
figure for the region stood at 1885,
232. However, the field agents
point out that the number of part
ownerS-those who rent additional
land to that they own-increased
by nearly $4,000 or so percent since
1915. This indicates a tendency
toward larger farms, they say.
Another reason assigned for fail
ure is the lack of capital to pur-
chase land, livestock, equipment,
fertilizer, insecticides, and other
materials. In almost every state,
they report that the farmers who
are making the most notable sue
cess are those whom the Farmers
Home Administratio ton has extend
ed credit to buy farms and build
homes. AS of last June, FILA rec
ords showed a total of 10000 cur
rent borrowers in the South. Of
these, $4,000 were Negro farmers.
Approximately 4,300 of the color 1
ed operators were buying farms Of
their own through the agency.
A fourth reason listed for fail
ure is poor management. Mitchell
and Campbell say some farmers
are trying to back into livestock
farming, getting the cattle and
hogs before they develop feed re-
sources.
They point to the number of
tie at a loss last year because
drought soon wiped out their feed
supply. Even during normal years,
some farmers are said to buy feed
almost yearround.
However, they believe that dur
ing 1858, colored farmers will con-
tinue developing more pastures and
expanding their livestock program
instead Of upping cotton production
or devoting more time to tobacco.
They consider the reduced labor
force as one of the controlling
factors in the trend toward live
stock production. Farmers are find
ing themselves shorthanded as
more and more of the older youths
move on to jobs in town.
Overall, the two agricultural
leaders think the outlook for 1858
appears bright for both farmers
and consumers. Since white and
colored farmers are likely to up
production of most food crops, city
folks and neighbors abroad are
assured adequate supplies.