104 



The Tariff and the Farmer. 



acres of land to men without means, and in a few years 

 these may have acquired sufficient value to put on small 

 mortgages for implements, teams, etc. Other than this 

 way, if a man without capital wants a farm he generally 

 has to hire either by agreeing to give a certain share of 

 the crops or pay so much cash when the crops have been 

 converted into money. We think it fair, then, to define a 

 tenant as one who is too poor to obtain possession of a 

 farm by giving a mortgage. 



The census record for 1900 shows the following condi- 

 tion — ''Per Cent, of Farm Families Having Homes;" — 

 in other words : 



Per Cent, of Farms 

 Owned or Hired. 



Continental United States, 

 North Atlantic Division. 

 South Atlantic Division, 

 North Central Division, 

 South Central Division, 

 Western Division, 



An examination of this table shows that more farms 

 were mortgaged than hired in the North Atlantic and 

 North Central Divisions ; while in the South Atlantic and 

 South Central Divisions few farms were mortgaged, but 

 very many hired. 



Does the above table indicate a prosperous condition? 

 For the nation but a little over 44% of the farms tilled 

 by the owners were free of incumbrance; the owners of 

 207c more were mortgaged; while over 35% were carried 

 on by tenants. In that stronghold of agriculture, the 

 North Central Division, 58% of all the farms were either 

 mortgaged or let to tenants. 



Another important link in the chain of evidence of the 



