TABLE III.— TENANTS AND CROPPERS 



Cash-tenants. . 

 Share-tenants. . 

 Share-croppers. 



Total... 



NiiiubiT 



50 

 52 

 68 



170 



N limber 

 J^cntinj; 



from 



Absentee 



Owners 



34 

 20 



7 



61 



'iotal 



Acreage 



Rented 



from 



Absentee 



Owners 



2,461 



1,348 



250 



4,059 



Among the tenants 63 per cent, rent land from neighboring farmers. 

 This land is in many cases under the direct supervision of the owner, who 

 designates what crops are to be raised, and sees to it that the soil does not 

 become too much worn out. In many cases the renters, although retain- 

 ing their independence, are thus virtually hired men, who are paid in 

 produce instead of in cash. This is particularly the case with the "share- 

 cropper," who owns neither land nor tools, but has tools, horses and seed 

 furnished by the owner of the land. The cropper as a rule cultivates 

 from 20 to 30 acres, and gives half the produce to the owner. Most of 

 the croppers are negroes. The "share-tenant" or "renter," who fur- 

 nishes his own tools and horses, pays to the owner one-third of the corn 

 and one-fourth of the cotton. The cash tenant pays usually $4 an acre. 

 There are only 10 hired men. Their wages are from 75 cents to $1.00 

 a day and keep. Table IV shows the proportion of negroes and whites 

 engaged in the different classes of farming. 



TABLE IV.— PROPORTION OF NEGROES AND WHITES ENGAGED IN 

 DIFFERENT CLASSES OF FARMING 



White Negro 



Class of Farmers Number f Totil Number ^f 'Tofoi 



Owners 359 80.1 43 32.7 



Cash-tenants 33 7.3 17 12.7 



Share-tenants 25 5.6 27 20.1 



Share-croppers 25 5.6 43 32 . 1 



Hired men 6 .... 4 3.0 



Total 448 134 



Total amount of land owned i)y whites, 34,403 acres; by negroes, 2,184 

 acres. 



Methods of Farming 



As a rule, the Gibson County farmer is not as progressive as the average 

 American farmer. This is shown })articularly in the lack of labor-saving 



