“Nearly all sections in the State of California are filled with opportunities for men with small capital to engage in various kinds of farming. While some are impressed by the large ranches, there is ample opportunities to engage in small farming projects. Land at reasonable prices and for all purposes can be obtained in the following counties; Siskiyou, Shasta, Tehama, Butte, Nevada, Yuba, El Dorado, Monterey, Stanislaus, Fresno, Imperial, Riverside, San Bernardino, Los Angeles, Kern and Tulare, Recent reports from various sections of the State show that there are now over 2100 Negroes engaged in agricultural, forestry and animal husbandry in this State.”
In his annual report of February 1920, Secretary Houston of the Department of Agriculture pointed out that when both the acreage and yield per acre are taken into account, the American farmer leads the world in individual production of crops. He further pointed out that the aggregate value of all crops raised in the United States for that year amounted to over fifteen billion dollars. These facts are truly very encouraging and complimentary to the American farmer and are quite apt to give him somewhat of a “big-head” until he reads “Social Aspects of the Decreasing Food Surplus in The United States.” This is a nation-wide agricultural survey written by one of America’s best authorities on that subject, Prof. Bernhard Ostrolenk, Director of the National Farm school at Farm School, Pa.
One of the most startling facts and timely warnings he brings out in his survey is that three million farms in the United States are idle on account of the American people not developing their unimproved lands. In writing about the already improved lands and abandoned farms, he says in part:
“And now we come to the most serious aspect of the agricultural situation in the United States. For the period of 1900 to 1910 more than two and a half million people left the country to go to the cities. Double that figure could safely be assumed to be the true situation from 1910 to 1920. A tragedy is facing the country. Scarcity of food means dissatisfaction, unrest, riots, mob rule, anarchy.
“Instead of proud boasting when new acquisitions are made in our cities, new apprehensions for the future food supply should be aroused. Can the Nation afford to be indifferent to the farmer much longer? We need an exodus from our congested districts back to the soil and the National Farm School is ready to lead in that movement. We have proved that it can be done by taking raw city youths and training them to be successful farmers. Eighty-seven per cent of our graduates own and operate their own farms.”
In giving out this advice and information of deep thought and timely warning, Prof. Ostrolenk has meant for it to apply to and benefit the great masses of Colored people who are jammed in the cities living in unsanitary courts and alleys, as he has meant for it to influence the masses of his own people who have left the country for the cities. And in putting a last spread on this bread-and-butter subject, the writer can truthfully say that just as the National Farm School, under the direction of Prof. Ostrolenk, is taking the lead among other white agricultural schools in helping to solve this great problem by turning out such efficient white farmers; so are Hampton Institute, under the guidance of Dr. Jas. E. Gregg, and Tuskegee Institute, under the leadership of Dr. Robt. R. Moton, gladly and whole-heartedly joining hands with the National Farm School in helping to bring about this “Back-to-the-Farm” movement by taking the lead among other Negro agricultural schools in turning out practically and scientifically trained Colored farmers.
Young men who wish to take a scientific course in agriculture but hesitate to do so because they fear their race and color will prevent them from getting sales for their products, should remember that:
The greatest and only food supplier in the world (the earth) is Colored, and that no race of people ever attempts to wean itself from sucking its daily life-giving nourishments from Nature’s nippled breasts just because those breasts are made of the brown colored dust and dirt from which all crops must come.
