RENT CONTRACT 63 



ingly we print the following extract from this report, which was 

 issued in the year 1911. 



"In the older sections of the eastern United States the necessity for con- 

 sidering permanent types of farming has long been felt and much effort has 

 been made to meet the need. A very good example of success in solving this 

 problem along general farming lines is that of a large estate in eastern Mary- 

 land. This estate is the more interesting because it represents a system em- 

 bracing 56 tenant farms under one ownership that has been in successful 

 operation for more than 30 years. During this period yields of wheat and corn, 

 which are the principal crops grown, have been maintained and in some cases 

 increased. A large number of tenants have been on the estate for more than 

 20 years; several have been there for more than 30 years, and their sons have 

 succeeded them. 



"These facts show clearly that the relationship between owner and tenant 

 has been satisfactory. This is further brought out from the standpoint of the 

 tenant by the fact that many tenants have made enough money by farming 

 on the estate to buy farms of their own. In several instances, however, they 

 are so well satisfied that they continue as tenants and rent their own farms to 

 some one else. 



"On the other hand, the estate itself is fairly well satisfied. It has been 

 able to keep up the productiveness of the different farms until many of them 

 yield better than when bought. Attractive dwellings and substantial barns 

 have been maintained on every farm, and all the fields are well "fenced with 

 board, hedge, or wire. Many fields have been enlarged by clearing waste 

 places and, made more productive by underdraining with tile. Every farm is 

 clean, neat and attractive in appearance. 



"The returns from the farm have paid for all these improvements, have 

 paid all taxes, and are now bringing in to the estate more than 5 per cent 

 interest on the total investment. Some of the farms have nearly trebled in 

 value in the last 30 years. These returns to both tenant and owner are unusual. 

 It is seldom that so large an estate is handled so satisfactorily, and a closer 

 study of the system followed may prove profitable. 



"In detail, the estate consists of 15,630 acres, or about 24 square miles of 

 land, subdivided into 56 farms varying in size from 98 to more than 1,000 

 acres, an average of about 279 acres per farm. These farms are scattered over 

 a radius of about 12 miles from the central office. Considerable areas of waste 

 land are found on some of them, so that on the average only about 72 per cent 

 of the land is in actual cultivation. The price of cultivated land away from 

 the influence of towns varies from $40 to $65 per acre, and these farms will 

 probably show a like variation in value. The soil of most of the farms varies 

 from a sandy loam to a clay loam, is comparatively free from stones, and is 

 generally well adapted to wheat culture. The land is sufficiently level for the 

 operation of labor-saving machinery. 



"One of the interesting facts relative to these farms and their organization 

 into a profitable system of farming is that they were accumulated one at a time 

 and organized by a merchant who had no special knowledge of agriculture, 

 yet he formulated and put into practice over 30 years ago a system which 

 has maintained yields and given satisfactory profits to both owner and tenants 

 up to the present time. The latter is regarded as the most important fact in 

 this bulletin. 



"At the tune of the owner's death, 13 years ago, the system of farming 

 which he put in operation had become so well established that with practically 

 no change since then the yields of the farms have been maintained, a consider- 

 able indebtedness has been paid, the buildings and fences have been kept hi a 

 good state of repair, and a net income from the farms averaging a little more 

 than 5 per cent has been paid to the estate." 



