Hide Article Text (OCR)
are more prosperous, and our plantations have been improved, our country homes made more attractive, and with the advantage of good public schools and good roads, our boys and girls will stay on the farms, and a new era of prosperity and happiness will dawn upon this good old State of ours, and generations to come will rise up and bless us for having left them so good a heritage in an improved commonwealth and educational advantages.NEGRO FARMERS MEET.Mecklenburg’s Colored Fanners Have a Successful Meeting and Adopt a Sensible Platform.The negro farmers of Mecklenburg County held a successful farmers’ institute in Charlotte a few days ago, at which addresses were made by State Chemist -B. W. Kilgore, Mr. C. C. Moore, of Charlotte, and a number of colored leaders. In the course of the meeting, the following statistical facts were broughtout: - -1 ,^ jvj* ”VjNegroes in Mecklenburg County own 7,172 acres of land.In North Carolina there are 55,-35G negro farm homes; 16,952 being owned (2 renters to 1 owner).In the United States there are 754,431 negro farm homes; 190,111 owned. .—The value of the products raised by the negro farmers for the year 1899 was $255,751,145—$669 average value negro farm; $308 is average gross income (46 per cent).The negro farmer raises 49 per cent of the cotton crop; 37 per cent of the rice crop; 18 per cent of the tobacco crop; 15 per cent of the sugar crop. |Exactly 96,812,245 bushels of corn are raised by negroes of the South Atlantic and South Central States.The following sensible resolutions -were adopted:“We, the colored farmers of Mecklenburg County, in conference assembled, rejoice in the unusual opportunity to confer again with reference to matters pertaining to our welfare and that of the community in which we live. We are living in stirring times and under conditions which are calculated to test the best that there is in us as a people. We therefore declare:“1. That we will continue to put forth our efforts to improve our mental, moral and material condition. To this end we will encourage those institutions designed to aidour advancement in these respects.“2. That our people should con-' tinue to put forth their best endeavors to buy small farms and thus settle and build up homes of their own. We must realize that the home is at the foundation of all society and government. No homeless people can ever rise in the true elements of manhood and Christianity.“3. That our people should remain on the farms as far as possible and cultivate the confidence and friendship of their neighbors. In order to do this they should be careful inmaking contracts and having made them should remain through themand perform their obligations ac-cording to the terms thereof. No people can expect to succeed who fail to live up to the obligations of a contract. On the other hand, we bespeak for the weak in this respectthe patience of employers. Patience will secure better results than invoking the law in this matter.“4. That while there may be good ground for persons breaking up and removing to other sections of the country and there should be freedom to all in this respect, we deplore the hasty and unfortunate changes many are making. Fancied ills are worse than real ones, real success is better than fancied success. ^Better bear the ills we have than fly to others we know not of/“5. That we hope our white people who own the bulk of the lands will encourage the negroes to appreciate the value and importance of permanent residence by continuing to sell the provident and worthy lands, thus binding them to the community in which they live and making them better citizens.“6. That we deplore the prevalence of crime throughout the State and the Union. We greatly rejoice however, that inter-racial crimes are so infrequent within the honored and heaven-favored county of Mecklenburg. We will continue as heretofore to frown upon crime of all kinds, and as committed by any one, and as good citizens endeavor to do our full duty on all occasions.“7. We pledge ourselves anew to a full co-operation in all that pertains to the advancement of the cause of public education among the people.“Rev. J. C. Collins, Mr. D. D. Moore, Rev. D. J. Sanders, Rev. C. C. Sommerville, Mr. Silas White, Committee on Declaration.”The Observer rightly says that these resolutions “are ffotable for their strength of expression and the conservatism of idea. The advice given the colored people to remain on the farm and endeavor to buy land of their own is especially good. In fact, the negro could do no better than follow in its entirety the counsel offeied in the resolutions referred to.”J. F. Lyttle, colored, of Huntersville, told at the colored farmers’ institute at Biddle Institute, Saturday, according to the report in yesterday’s paper, that he had bought a tract of poor land, filled with gullies, brought it up, paid for it from its products, bought a tract adjoining it, and when other fanners were complaining of poor crops had made 19 bales of cotton of over 500 pounds each on 18 acres. This is capital in a section where a bale to two acres is not considered bad, and this col ored farmer is to be congratulated upon his success and commended for his thrift.—Charlotte Observer.Mr. D. J. Aaron, of Mt. Olive, had in cultivation this year 16 acres in strawberries, 20 acres in Irish potatoes .and 20 acres in cantaloupes, lie realized from these crops $6,-800.-it
Newspaper Details
The Progressive Farmer
Raleigh, North Carolina, US
Tue, Aug 18, 1903
Page 10
Full Page
Clipped by
Willie G.
NC, USA 22 Apr 2023
Other Publications Near Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh Daily Confederate
Raleigh North Carolina Standard
Raleigh Register and North Carolina Weekly Advertiser
Raleigh Oak
Raleigh Twig
