32 Negro Migration 



in dire straits when confronted by such uncertainties in 

 labor supply. Some arrangement had to be made whereby 

 the landlord could be assured that his crop would have 

 constant attention. The metayer, or share tenant system, 

 resulted. Under this system the landlords could move into 

 the towns and have their places farmed by tenants on 

 shares. The tenant, usually without capital, was advanced a 

 year's supplies, given the use of a house, implements and a 

 work animal. In return he was to plant and work the crop 

 in accordance with the instructions of the landlord. The 

 landlord received as rent a share of the crop. This share- 

 tenancy in its turn was irksome to some of the Negroes who 

 did not like the supervision which it implied. They desired 

 a still more permanent and independent form of land tenure. 

 It was then that cash tenancy arose. In the case of a cash 

 tenant or renter, if the Negro were without capital his ad- 

 vances for tools and supplies were made as a direct loan 

 from the landlord or from a merchant, and a mortgage on 

 his growing crop was taken to secure payment. In this way 

 the tenant was responsible for part of the capital. Instead 

 of having to pay the landlord half of the crop, he had to 

 pay a stipulated "standing" rent, and all that remained 

 after paying his rent and returning the money advanced, 

 belonged to him. The cash tenant was on his own initiative. 

 The more or less successful farmers managed to accumu- 

 late a little money and buy land. The unsuccessful were 

 involved in debt, lost their land and stock, and returned to 

 the status of laborer or share tenant. That the successes 

 have been, in the long run, slightly more numerous than the 

 failures is illustrated by the slow increase in the number 

 of Negroes found in these higher forms of tenancy. 



It is natural that the owners should be averse to a pass- 

 age from laborer to share tenant and share tenant to cash 

 tenant, because each step means a decreasing amount of 

 supervision over the crop and care of the land. Many 

 of these landlords who were experienced farmers and who 



