426 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE. 



generally resulted in failure. Hence there is a growing disposition 

 among them to plant more forage and food crops, making cotton and 

 sugar of secondary importance. This is only retarded by their in- 

 debtedness to merchants, who demand from tiieni yearly sufficient to 

 cover their indebtedness. At X->resent the planters are very much de- 

 pressed, especially the rice and cotton men. 



TEXAS. 



It is thought that one-third of the Texas farmers are in debt, and 

 that half require some advances from the merchant. It is a common 

 practice for the farmer to arrange with the merchant for an advance 

 of 83 to $5 per acre, generally 83 per acre, of cultivated land, to be 

 secured by a croj) lien. * The renter has greater difficulty than the 

 owner in getting supplies; he must induce his landlord to waive his 

 landlord's lien in the merchant's favor or to indorse the renter's note 

 for such supplies. The crop lien is usually given for supplies rather 

 than money. The annual rate of interest is 1>} per cent., but the 

 actual difference between cash and credit prices is 25 to 50 per cent. 

 The western part of the State, engaged more fully in stock-raising, is 

 in better condition than the eastern. 



ARKANSAS. 



The Arkansas agent estimates the proportion of farmers in debt in 

 'Arkansas at 75 per cent, in the cotton region and 25 per cent, in the 

 grass and grain region. The interest rate is 6 per cent., with privi- 

 lege, by agreement, of 10 per cent. The farms are not mortgaged as 

 a rule. Indebtedness is of several kinds t To banks and money-lend- 

 ers, for money or supplies furnished by farm owners to small tenants 

 of large plantations; for supplies to small farmers or renters. The 

 most numerous class requiring help is the tenant cultivating a few 

 acres of cotton. The average increase of cost of all supplies by rea- 

 son of these advances is estimated at 20 per cent. The report says of 

 this class: 



The tenant or share-hand farmer: Tliis man may or may not have a pony or 

 mule. He rents land, say, for $6, |8, or $10 per acre, or works for part of the crop, 

 but must have suppUes from or through the landlord or by mortgaging his mule or 

 pony and the crop he gi-ows. Of course the risk on him is greater than any other 

 class, and he must pay for the risk, and is scored at the rate of 50 to 100 per cent. 

 I should say that tins man, taking all thmgs into consideration, on the average over 

 the cash man. putting him at 100, pays 166, or two-thirds more thaif if he had 

 money. This is the most numerous of all the classes, and comprises the bulk of the 

 agi'icultural labor of the South. 



This record makes a burden of interest that is unendurable. The es- 

 timate of North Carolina is 25 per cent. . including the advanced prices 

 of supplies furnished; of South Carolina, 15 per cent.; of Georgia, 

 50 per cent, in the prices of advances and 10 per cent, interest on 

 past-due indebtedness; of Florida, 16 per cent.; of Alabama, 50 per 

 cent, increase in price of goods and 20 per cent, on mortgages; of 

 Mississippi, 15 per cent, on advances, without reference to increase 

 of prices, and 10 per cent, on general indebtedness; of Louisana, 15 

 per cent. , besides higher prices of goods and more for advances by 



* Under the direction of the supreme court a mortgage is invalid given before the 

 seed is in process of germination, and the general tenor of decisions of the courts is 

 that a thing must be in esse before it can be disposed of in any way. 



