172 MASS. EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETIN 193. 



Mass., received $700 for 12 acres insured at $150 per acre. In the same 

 year a grower in Hadley, Mass., received $75 an acre on 12 acres insured 

 for $100 an acre, and $6 an acre on 5 acres insured for $100 an acre. 

 Another grower in Easthampton got $150 an acre on 11 acres insured 

 at $150 per acre. 



Insurance of the crop has been very helpful to tobacco farmers living 

 in sections of excessive hail and wind storms, but it has not been success- 

 ful in regions of little or no hail and wind. The insurance premium is 

 high, and the maximum insurance is much less than the value of the crop. 

 Moreover, farmers frequently pay out more money than they receive in 

 damages. However, in 1917 and 1918 insurance companies were not 

 eager to insure crops in regions of general hail and wind storms. Where 

 they would insure the crops they put the premium so high that farmers 

 felt they could not afford it. This lack of insurance puts the risk all on 

 the farmer. In case of hail or wind storms he loses all. Crops are still 

 insured in sections where hail and wind storms are rare. 



Tenancy. 



In 1910, 92 per cent of all Massachusetts farms were operated by 

 owners,! 7 per cent by cash tenants, and 1 per cent by share tenants. In 

 Connecticut, 90 per cent of all farms were operated by owners, 9 per cent 

 by cash tenants, and 1 per cent by share tenants. 



In Franklin, Hampden and Hampshire counties, Massachusetts, in 

 1910, 92.8 per cent of the farms were operated by owners, 4.5 per cent by 

 cash tenants, and 2.7 per cent by share tenants. In Hartford, Litchfield 

 and Tolland counties, Connecticut, 90.9 per cent of the farms were 

 operated by owners, 5.5 per cent by cash tenants, and 3.6 per cent by 

 share tenants. In the Connecticut valley 91.7 per cent of all farms were 

 operated by owners, 5.3 per cent by cash tenants, and 3 per cent by share 

 tenants. In fact, these two states exliibit an unusually large percentage 

 of ownership. Very little change has occurred in this respect since 1880. 



On the basis of tobacco alone, the percentage of tenancy is more than 

 the above figures indicate. The proportion of tenants engaged in the grow- 

 ing of tobacco is comparatively high, since tobacco is a crop that lends 

 itself readily to tenancy. It is a cash crop of large money value, requiring 

 comparatively little machinery or horse labor, and adapted to hand labor, 

 making the rise from tenancy to ownership comparatively easy. Most of 

 the tenant farms are operated by immigrant families, the women and 

 children doing much of the hand labor required for growing and prepar- 

 ing the crop for market. 



Two types of tenancy are found in the valley, although but one is com- 

 mon. The one may be called share rental and the other cash rental. 

 Share rental is usually for one-half the crop. Under this form the owner 

 pays for the fertilizer in addition to supplying all the power machinery. 



' " Owners " include farma operated by managers. 



