OTBElt FACTOttS IN DIFFERENT REGIONS 271 



before 1880, but we know that before the war the county 

 was divided into large plantations of several hundred 

 acres. By 1880, the average size of farm had decreased 

 to 103 acres and in 1910 it had decreased to 44 acres, or 

 31 acres of tillable land. The proportion of farms 

 operated by owners has rapidly decreased. In 1910, only 

 11 per cent were so operated. The land owners have 

 found it best to divide up the land into tracts that can 

 be worked by one negro family. The number of farms 

 of less than 50 acres has more than doubled since 1880. 



The average farm in 1910 grew about 19 acres of cotton, 

 5 acres of corn, and 2 acres of all other crops. There was 

 an average of a little over one mature horse or mule per 

 farm. This shows the typical farm of the colored farmer, 

 " 20 acres and a mule." There was a little over one cow 

 per farm, two hogs, and 14 head of poultry, and less than 

 $50 worth of machinery per farm. 



These farms with 19 acres of cotton and a mule are 

 family-farms. This is about all the work a mule can do 

 and about all the work a colored family cares to do. It 

 provides full work for a family in cotton-picking season, 

 and nearly full work in the cotton chopping season, but not 

 during the remainder of the year. How prosperous these 

 farms are may be judged from the fact that the value of the 

 house and all other farm buildings averages $189 per farm. 



Any county in the cotton-belt, where nearly all the 

 farms are operated by negroes, shows the same figures. 

 Bolivar County, Mississippi, has over 12 colored farmers 

 for each white farmer. The farms average 31 acres with 

 24 acres of tillable land. There was a little over one work 

 animal per farm, less than one cow, nearly two hogs, 1 1 

 head of poultry, 15 acres of cotton, 4 acres of corn, 2 acres 

 of hay and forage crops, and an acre or two of other crops. 



