THE RENT AND VALUE OF FARM LAND 631 



If fertilizers are used under this system, they are paid for in the ratio 

 of each party's share of the crop. The tenant pays as rent a share of 

 the crop, one-fourth in some sections and one-third in others. The 

 use of the land in corn is sometimes paid for in cash and the tenant 

 then retains all the crop. Each party to this agreement pays for 

 ginning and bagging his part of the cotton. The landlord is interested 

 in the crop and oversees the tenant's operations, but is not so much 

 concerned about the economical use of mules and machinery, since 

 they belong to the tenant. 



Cash renting system. This system is similar to the share renting 

 system, except that in lieu of a share of the crop the tenant pays a 

 fixed rent per acre in cash or in lint cotton. Since the cotton is sold 

 through the planter, he is sure of his rent provided a crop is raised, 

 but since he cannot collect his rent if there is no crop, and since also 

 the tenant is usually indebted to him for supplies advanced, the land- 

 lord exercises supervision over the cash renters, except in the case of 

 renters whom he knows to be dependable. 



b] IN TEXAS 1 

 BY CHARLES B. AUSTIN 



The kind of rent that is most common in the state of Texas is the 

 rent known as the third and fourth, which means that the landlord 

 furnishes nothing, or very little, in the way of teams or implements 

 or working capital of any kind, and receives for the use of his land, 

 houses, and barns one-third of the grain which is grown and one- 

 fourth of the cotton. In case the tenant furnishes nothing except his 

 labor, and all the capital is furnished by the land owner, the crops 

 produced are usually divided equally. Cash rent is not paid in Texas 

 so frequently as it is in other sections of the country, but it seems that 

 cash rent is increasing in favor. Imitation and custom have been 

 powerful forces in making the third and fourth rent almost universal. 

 In the past few years, however, there has grown up the practice of 

 either requiring, on the part of the land holder, or the offering, on the 

 part of the tenant, some sort of a bonus in addition to the third and 

 fourth for the use of the land. This bonus is either paid in cash or in 

 other ways which will be discussed later on. We have information 

 from certain communities where the bonus system began by the 

 renters bidding against each other to acquire the more desirable 

 places. It was quite natural that the land owners, finding out that 



r Adapted from Bulletin of the University of Texas, 1915, No. 21, pp. 89-90. 



