AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS 



From the above table it will be seen that the 

 situation in the South can be explained, in part 

 at least, in terms of the negro population. It is 

 relatively a short time since the freedmen started 

 with nothing, and the fact that a small percentage 

 of them, even, now own the land which they culti- 

 vate is in itself an encouraging fact. In the South 

 Central division 26.8 per cent, of all farms are 

 operated by negroes, and while the percentage of 

 tenancy for all farmers in this division is 48.6 

 that for the negro farmers is 78.5. In Alabama, 

 where 42.1 per cent, of the farms are operated by 

 negroes, the percentage of tenancy for all farms 

 was 57.7, while that among negro farmers was 

 84.9 and that among white farmers was 37.9. In 

 Mississippi, where 62.4 per cent, of all farms 

 were operated by tenants, 83.6 of the negro farm- 

 ers were tenants, while only 32.9 per cent, of the 

 white farmers were tenants. 



In Adams county, Mississippi, where 92.4 of 

 all farmers are negroes, the percentage of tenancy 

 is 87.9, whereas in Hancock county, where 91.7 

 of all farmers are whites, only 8.5 per cent, of the 

 farms are operated by tenants. Again, Issaquena 

 county, where 95.7 per cent, of all farmers are 

 negroes, 90.3 of all farms are operated by tenants. 

 This is sufficient to illustrate the general principle 

 that where the negro farmers are very numerous 

 the percentage of tenancy runs higher than where 

 the white population dominates. Both the white 

 252 



