TENANCY IN THE SOUTHERN STATES 



1 

 By Benjamin H. Hibbard 



(From the Quarterly Journal of Economics^ Vol. XXVII, p. 482, May, 1913) 



TO THE south of Mason and Dixon's line are sixteen states 

 which constitute that portion of the Union famiHarly referred 

 to as the South. Here are, then, one-third of the states of the 

 country. In area these states fall a little short of a third of the 

 total area, and also a little short of a third of the area of improved 

 land. But in the number of farms the proportion is high, being 

 49 per cent of the total number of farms of the United States. 

 This means that the average size of farms in the South is much 

 smaller than in the North. Before the war the reverse of this was 

 true, but at the present time the average size of the Southern farm 

 is 1 14 acres, while the average of the Northern farm is 143 acres. 

 During the past decade the average size of farms in the North has 

 increased 10 acres, while in the South it has decreased 24 acres. 

 This decrease is the result of cutting plantations up into smaller 

 farms, which in a very great many cases means tenant farms. 

 A similar movement towards smaller farms in Texas and Okla- 

 homa does not mean so frequently an increase in tenancy, 

 since a considerable immigration from other states brings in a 

 large number of landowning farmers. 



The value of the Southern farm with its equipment is well below 

 the average for the country, due partly to its smaller size, but also 

 to the lower value of land per acre, the lower value of buildings, 

 and the smaller equipment in the form of machinery and live 

 stock. For example, the average value of land in the South is 

 about ;^30 per acre in about two states, while in five states it is 

 below $15 per acre. In the North Central states, in which is the 

 greatest body of farm land in the country, we find in contrast but 

 one state in which the average value is below $30, while the upper 



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