paid. In this case the owner made the more permanent type of improvements 

 and furnished lime and fertilizer. The farmer repaired fences, had furnished 

 some fence, cleared brush and stones, furnished seed and paid all oper- 

 ating expenses. There was a five-year written lease with six months' notice 

 required by either party before termination. The owner lives on the farm 

 in the summer and this probably is the main reason for owning it, but he 

 also appeared to be interested in its development as a commercial farm. 



In the second instance of a rented farm unit the owner is resident on 

 the farm more of the year and apparently is more interested in preserving 

 than developing the farm. The amount of the rental was not obtained but 

 was indicated to be low, partly because the owner was more interested in 

 careful use of the properly than in income from it. (This again emphasizes 

 the need in many cases in New Hampshire to learn the special interests 

 of both parties and to develop a rental agreement which will as far as possi- 

 ble develop and protect the interests of both parties.) In this case there was 

 a two-year lease which had been renewed several times. The renter furnished 

 fertilizer as well as seed, minor repairs, arid operating expenses. This farm 

 apparently was being operated considerably below its capacity, as might 

 be expected under such a rental agreement. 



Rental Terms in the Town of Derry 



Standing Hay. Eight farmers reported the amounts paid. These amounts 

 were most often expressed in dollars per ton on the estimated yield. They 

 ranged from $4 to $10, with $5 the most usual price. The higher prices 

 were sometimes due to bad estimates of yields or to hay of unusually high 

 legume content. 



There were no leases, written or oral, although the same farmers some- 

 times cut hay on the same places for several years. 



Usually no improvements (plowing, seeding, or fertilization) were 

 indicated. In one case the poultryman owner manured the field and in an- 

 other the semi-retired farmer both reseeded and fertilized. It is character- 

 istic that when hay is bought standing, the. maintenance of the crop, if any, 

 is up to the owner. When the owner has the equipment, means, and interest 

 he may maintain or improve the stand. Otherwise, and this seems to be the 

 more usual situation, yields decline until the hay is not worth cutting and 

 the field is abandoned. 



Rented Hay Land. Seven farmers reported renting hay land. Of these, 

 two paid approximately $1 per acre with one renter also plowing the owner's 

 garden, a third renter paid the taxes, a fourth did some work for the owner, 

 two reported rentals which could not be separated from other land, and one 

 did not report the amount paid. In all cases the renter furnished seed and 

 fertilizer. 



In four cases the agreements were oral. Two of these were for one year 

 each, one for three years, and one for five years. Two more probably were 

 oral and were for two and three years. One had a written lease for a two- 

 year period. 



Cultivated Crops. Five farmers reported renting land for annual crops. 

 The amount of rent was not given in one case, in another case it was part 

 of a rental sum paid for an entire farm, in one case no rent was paid, in still 

 another the renter paid eight to ten bushels of potatoes for the use of two 



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