The  Afro-American  Farmer. 
The  husbandman  shown  at  Figs.  140  and  141,  pict¬ 
ures  taken  directly  from  photographs  made  near 
Charleston,  S.  C.,  is  an  evei’y-day  sight  in  South  Caro¬ 
lina  and  Georgia.  We  go  to  Europe  and  rave  over  the 
picturesque  peasantry,  but  here  we  have  a  more  mixed 
and  picturesque  people  than  any  in  European  lands. 
Our  friend  is  full  of  strange  reminiscences  of  the  twin 
curses  War  and  Slavery.  To  a  Northern  man  he  tells 
with  unfeigned  gusto,  how  when  Sherman’s  men 
came  around  foraging,  he  got  into  a  towering  rage, 
just  to  mollify  the  local  white  folks,  while  secretly  he 
bade  the  soldiers  welcome,  llis  highest  ambition  is  to 
own  a  hoise,  and  it  must  be  either  a  marsh-tacky  or  a 
Texan,  for  no  other  would  live  on  the  rough  fare  pro¬ 
vided  for  it.  He  would  feel 
offended  if  you  called  it  a  pony. 
The  most  of  his  brethren  have 
to  get  along  with  a  cow  or  steer, 
similar  in  every  respect  to  that 
shown  in  the  picture.  Occasion¬ 
ally,  when  he  does  not  possess  a 
cart  he  rides  the  animal  whether 
it  be  a  cow  or  steer. 
He  is  an  authority  on  Sea 
Island  cotton  of  which  he  picks  a 
great  deal,  and  cultivates  a  small 
patch  sufficient  to  buy  the  staple 
groceries  and  hog  and  hominy. 
He  seldom  milks  a  cow  and  does 
not  believe  in  using  milk.  His 
chief  diversions  are  found  in  ob¬ 
serving  the  various  festivals  of 
his  church,  especially  camp  meet¬ 
ings.  He  is  an  aristocrat  to  the 
core,  and  waxes  eloquent  on  the 
proud  lineage  of  “his”  family. 
To  be  sure  it  is  not  his  own  im¬ 
mediate  family,  but  that  of  his 
late  Massa,  and  he  is  proud  in 
the  possession  of  historic  names, 
as  Allston,  Middleton,  Pinckney, 
Barnwell  or  Manigault.  One 
name  he  dislikes  and  that  is  Cal¬ 
houn,  yet  he  can  hardly  tell  why. 
The  one  face  above  all  others 
that  he  desires  to  see  in  Heaven, 
is  that  of  good  Massa  Linkum. 
Everything  with  him  dates  from 
“freedom”  or  the  coming  of  the 
“Yankees.” 
In  politics  he  is  Republican, 
but  cannot  understand  this  Alli¬ 
ance  business,  since  he  thought 
the  buckra  (white)  man  born  to 
be  a  Democrat.  His  wife  is  just 
as  fond  of  her  freedom,  yet  she 
will  regularly  visit  her  white 
folks,  and  fondly  look  on  some 
member  of  the  family  to  whom 
he  was  as  a  mother.  w.  k.  m. 
R.  N.-Y. — As  our  correspondent  says,  these  pictures 
are  not  unfair  to  a  large  class  of  negro  farmers.  The 
little  steer,  the  big  shafts  and  the  small  load  are  all  to 
be  seen  any  day  in  parts  of  the  South.  The  substance 
in  the  cart  is  a  mulch  for  strawberries — rotted  ferns, 
moss,  etc.  The  white  folks  in  the  picture  are  mem¬ 
bers  of  the  family  of  a  market  gardener  for  whom  the 
negro  is  working. 
The  negro  and  the  “race  question”  are  being 
written  about  a  good  deal  just  now.  People  are 
beginning  seriously  to  inquire  “are  the  negroes  gaining 
in  dignity,  morality  and  other  qualifications  that  go  to 
make  good  citizens  ?  ”  Many  who  write  say  they  are 
not.  Not  long  since  one  of  the  brightest  Southern 
writers  of  the  day  gave  as  his  opinion  that  sooner  or 
later  the  negro  race  mfist  disappear — like  the  Indian. 
He  held  that  the  race  would  die  out  simply  because 
our  climate  and  institutions  are  not  suited  to  its 
growth  and  development.  The  R.  N.-Y.  does  not 
believe  this.  We  believe  the  negro  race  has  made  a 
distinct  and  substantial  advance  in  the  past  10  years. 
The  industrial  schools  for  negroes  at  Hampton,  Tus- 
kegee  and  elsewhere  are,  we  believe,  doing  good  Avork. 
It  is  our  hope  during  the  year  to  describe  some  of 
these  negro  agricultural  colleges,  and  we  think  the 
showing  made  there  will  be  surprising  and  commend¬ 
able. 
As  to  “social  rights” — that  is  another  matter  from 
material  progress.  Sooner  or  later  every  act  of  manly 
heroism  and  every  evidence  of  sound,  true  education 
that  the  black  man  gives  to  the  world  will  be  appre¬ 
ciated.  Every  manly  negro  will  be  considered  a  man 
by  those  whose  opinions  are  worth  considering.  In  a 
recent  issue  of  the  Atlanta  Constitution  we  find  this 
editorial : 
THE  BLACK  HERO. 
The  other  day,  in  Montgomery,  when  two  ladies  were  accidentally 
thrown  from  a  buggy  in  a  submerged  back  street  near  the  river.  Ellis 
Harris,  a  colored  man,  at  the  risk  of  his  life,  saved  one  of  the  ladles, 
and  made  a  brave  but  ineffectual  effort  to  rescue  the  other. 
In  recognition  of  his  heroic  conduct,  the  Montgomery  Journal  in¬ 
dorses  the  suggestion  that  Harris  should  be  presented  by  the  people 
with  a  home,  and  urges  the  ladies  of  the  city  to  go  to  work  and  raise  a 
fund  for  that  purpose. 
This  is  only  one  of  many  Instances  showing  the  hearty  willingness 
of  the  Southern  people  to  encourage  and  reward  their  black  fellow 
citizens  when  they  come  to  the  front  with  noble  and  admirable  deeds 
Brave  and  manly  qualities  cannot  be  sneered  or 
talked  out  of  the  world.  True  education  and  manli¬ 
ness  shine  through  a  black  skin — if  inside.  Let  us 
admit  that  thousands  of  black  farmers  are  ignorant, 
superstitious  and  careless.  We  can  match  them  with 
thousands  of  white  farmers  who  have  not  taken  ad¬ 
vantage  of  one-tenth  of  the  opportunities  that  are 
theirs  by  inheritance  and  education  or  example. 
Educate  the  black  man  in  true  manly  qualities,  and 
the  “  race  question  ”  will  not  trouble  anybody. 
A  Novel  Specialty  in  Farming, 
THE  LANCASTER  COUNTY  VACCINE  FARM. 
One  of  the  most  interesting  and  novel  farms  in  the 
United  States,  as  well  as  the  largest  of  its  kind  in  the 
world,  is  the  vaccine  farm  of  Dr.  H.  M.  Alexander,  of 
Marietta,  Lancaster  County,  Pa.  This  is  an  establish 
ment  for  the  propagation  of  the  bovine  virus  which  is 
now  used  almost  exclusively  by  physicians  in  vaccin¬ 
ation,  in  the  place  of  virus  from  the  human  subject 
which  was  formerly  employed. 
Dr.  Alexander  is  the  son  of  a 
Pennsylvania  farmer,  who,  while 
in  the  active  practice  of  medicine, 
had  his  attention  called  to  the 
lack  of  knowledge  among  phy¬ 
sicians  as  to  the  history  and 
nature  of  cow-pox,  the  disease 
which  in  the  human  subject  is 
called  smallpox.  His  studies  into 
the  nature  of  cow-pox  have  re¬ 
sulted  in  the  establishment  of  the 
great  plant  for  the  propagation 
of  the  virus.  His  success  is  due 
to  the  fact  that  he  thoroughly 
understands  his  business ;  he 
gives  it  his  close  personal  at¬ 
tention,  and,  finally,  brings  to 
bear  in  its  conduct  the  modern 
methods  of  enterprising  Young 
America.  He  had  at  first  51  com¬ 
petitors,  now  he  has  but  seven. 
The  virus  is  propagated  in 
young  heifers  which  are  secured 
from  neighboring  farmers  for  this 
purpose.  These  animals  are  being 
raised  for  future  milkers.  Mari¬ 
etta  is  in  the  midst  of  the  richest 
farming  district  in  the  United 
States,  the  celebrated  Lancaster 
Co.,  Pa.,  hence,  the  doctor  has 
the  choice  of  fine  young  stock 
for  his  purposes.  These  he  read¬ 
ily  secures  at  a  very  small  rental, 
because  the  farmers  have  come  to 
believe  that  the  animals  are  bene  ¬ 
fited  by  the  operation.  No  cattle 
over  two  years  of  age  are  em 
ployed  and  only  those  entirely 
healthy.  They  are  brought  to 
the  stables  in  an  upholstered 
carriage  so  that  they  cannot  be 
bruised  or  injured  in  any  way. 
After  they  have  been  in  the 
stables  for  a  week  and  it  has  been 
determined  that  they  are  in  per¬ 
fect  health,  they  are  taken  to  the  operating  room, 
where  a  table  of  peculiar  construction  is  strapped 
to  the  back.  This  table  then  revolves,  and  the 
heifer  lies  on  her  back.  Her  feet  are  secured  to 
upright  posts  as  shown  at  Fig.  142,  page  283.  The 
inner  sides  of  her  hind-quarters  are  then  washed  and 
shaved  clean  aud  each  quarter  is  inoculated  with  the 
virus  in  four  or  five  places,  much  in  the  same  manner 
as  in  the  vaccination  of  the  human  subject,  only  the 
places  are  each  about  an  inch  and  a  half  in  diameter. 
After  the  inoculation  is  completed,  the  cattle  are  re¬ 
turned  to  the  stables,  where  they  remain  seven  days, 
when  they  are  again  taken  to  the  operating  room, 
placed  upon  the  table,  the  crusts  which  have  formed 
over  the  sores  are  removed,  the  surfaces  are  washed 
clean,  and  then  when  the  lymph  begins  to  ooze  out 
An  Afro-AmericancFarmer  and  His  Outfit.  Fig.  140. 
