FORMS OF LAND TENURE IN THE UNITED STATES 281 



do the right thing, than to take chances on a man of doubtful 

 character. In European countries where state-owned lands are 

 let to tenants the principle is well established that farms will 

 not necessarily be let to the highest bidder. 



In share tenancy the ability of the tenant to manage a farm 

 is a matter which should receive more attention on the part of 

 the landlord than the exact terms of the contract. On a given 

 farm, stocked in a given way, one tenant will be able to sell 

 $3000 worth of products each year, and keep the farm in as 

 good condition as another tenant who may not be able to sell 

 more than $2500 worth of products. If the land is let for 

 one-half of the proceeds, this will make a difference of $250 

 in the income of the landlord. In order to get the better ten- 

 ant, therefore, the landlord can afford to be liberal in making 

 the bargain. Even where the share of the product to be re- 

 ceived by the landlord is fixed by custom, there are many points, 

 such as the landlord's share of the poultry, the paying of the 

 thrashing bill, the twine bill, the amount of free garden land, 

 the free use of milk for the tenant's family, the colts, the horse 

 feed, etc., regarding which the landlord and the tenant must 

 bargain. Here is the opportunity for the owner to be liberal 

 and get a good tenant. 



Where land is let, in accordance with the customs of the dis- 

 trict, for one-half of the proceeds, it is often more important 

 to the tenant that he should look out for the best farm, owned 

 by an agreeable and far-sighted landlord, than to stand out 

 too strongly on any small matter of detail as to what the land- 

 lord shall furnish. The same labor and capital may easily 

 bring a return 20 per cent larger on one farm than on another in 

 the same neighborhood, and this will more than compensate for 

 being liberal in matters of detail. 



When the landlord seeks the best tenant he can get, and the 

 tenant seeks the best farm he can get, the result is likely to 

 be that the best tenant will be on the best land, and while the 

 tenant profits by being on the better land, the landlord profits 

 equally by having an excellent tenant on his farm. Large num- 

 bers of farmers have mentioned this point, and they generally 



