132 EEPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTUKE. 



the women and youth are too muck inclined to decline field-labor even 

 when there is no other profitable calling to occupy their time. 



There is a better understanding between land-owners and freedmen. 

 The one is more willing to be advised, the other to give needed direction 

 to labor. Many farmers have been nearly ruined by neglect to exercise 

 wholesome supervision of the farm economy, and waste and improvidence 

 of share-laborers. Some have benefited themselves and laborers by a 

 judicious control. Our correspondent in Chickasaw, Mississippi, gives 

 his own experience as follows : 



The man who has the best tact in managing free negrooa is the best farmer. Ho 

 can get labor when others cannot. The writer has freedmen, not his old slaves either, 

 who have lived seven and eight years with him. He buys their shoes, clothing, pro- 

 visionsj and all necessary supplies for cash or short time — and his credit is nearly 

 equal to cash — charges them to his hands, adding in moderate interest. At the end of 

 the year each one has money coming to him, and is satisfied, and wants to remain, 

 while scores apply, more than he wants or needs. I never wrong them out of one 

 cent in settlement. Having thirty negro families on my place, and no help, I am com- 

 pelled to trust them some. I find but little trouble in controlling them, except in 

 politics, and that I never attempt. A number of them have money to loan, but prefer 

 remaining with me to buying land and going elsewhere from under my management 

 and advice, while I have 'made $10,000 in clear cash in the last seven years, laid out 

 in land and mules. 



The following notes are given from correspondence to show the vari- 

 ety in terms of contract : 



North Carolina. — Columlus : Owners furnish team; laborers find their own board. 

 Caldwell : Landlord furnishing everything except laborers' board ; the tenant receives 

 one-third of the crop of corn and one-half the crop of cotton. Gaston: A majority of 

 owners furnish land and teams, and receive G7 per cent, of the crop. Greene : I think 

 that 50 per cent, work as follows : Owner furnishes team and feed for team, and all nec- 

 essary implements ; the laborer furnishes board for himself; owner getting 60 per cent, 

 of the crop. Edgecomhe: The laborer boards himself; the landlord furnishes everything 

 else, and gives the laborer 40 per cent, of lint-cotton and 33 per cent of other crops. 

 Harnett : Share-contracts are decreasing. Guilford : When laborer boards himself, ho 

 gets one-half of the crop ; when boarded by landlord, one-third. Iredell : Owners 

 bear all expenses; laborers board themselves, and receive one-third of all the grain, 

 and one-half of the cotton and tobacco, and furnished with house, fire-wood, and 

 garden. Duplin : Owner furnishes team, implements, and pays eame proportion for 

 fertilizers as he gets of crop ; laborer furnishes his own rations, and receives from 40 

 to 50 per cent, of crop. Camden : Share-contracts for cotton only ; when land and 

 team are furnished, the laborer has 33 per cent, of the crop. Jiotcan: The land takes 

 one-third stock and feeding the same, and tools and rent one-third ; manual labor one- 

 third. Tijrrel: The land-owner furnishes and feeds the team and furnishes the im- 

 plements ; the laborer cultivates and gathers in the crops, and they share alike. Wil- 

 ton : One-third and one-fourth of cotton and corn ; laborer furnishes himseK. 



South Carolina. — Barnwell : One-third of the crops without rations, or one-foarth 

 with rations. Chester : 800 pounds of lint-cotton to the horse. Edgefield : Gives 800 

 pounds lint-cotton for a one-horse farm. Georgetown : A large proportion of planters 

 work on the three day system ; which is three-days for the proprietor and three days 

 for the laborer. 



Georgia. — Banks : One-third to one-fonrth to landlord. Baker : Laborer gets one-half 

 of au he can make, landlord furnishing everything necessary to make the crop except 

 board for laborers. Bartoiv : Landlord furnishes and feeds the stock ; the laborer gets 

 one-half. Bibb : Some give one-third of the crop for labor. Others give the laborer 

 one-half of the crops, the laborer boarding himself, and dividing expenses. Catoosa : 

 One-third of produce to landholder. Columbia: The laborers usually put their labor 

 against the land and stock, and divide the expenses. Dawson : 40 per cent, work on 

 shares, landlord to furnish land alone for one-third of production ; 40 percent, of labor 

 is done by the land-owners. Doohj : The owner furnishing everything, and the laborer 

 finding his own board, receives one-third of the corn and one-fourtli of tho cotton. 

 Early : An average of share-contracts is one-third of all crops housed and 100 pounds 

 of nieat to laborer. Elbert : Laborer finds himself and docs the work, landlord finds 

 tho stock and feed, pays contingent expenses, and divides tho crop equally. Eorsyth : 

 The landlord furnishes stock and tools and houses; produce divided equally. Harris . 

 Laborer gets one-half of the corn and one-third of the cotton, the employer furnishing 

 everything but the labor and board. Milton: Owner furnishes 8tock,tools, feed for 

 stock, and seeds for planting, and gives tho tenant one-half, after paying for fertilizers. 



