FARM-MANAGEMENT SURVEY OF REPRESENTATIVE AREAS. 



35 



The year for which the records in Iowa were taken was 20 per cent 

 below normal, and this is the main reason the cash-rent tenants made 

 less than those on a share basis. In a normal year they would 

 undoubtedly have made from $800 to $900 in labor income. 



When the landlord rents for cash he assumes very little responsi- 

 bility and has no work to do in looking after the farm. He is there- 

 fore entitled to only a fair income on his investment and to no pay 

 for general supervision. 



RELATION OF THE SYSTEM OF RENTAL TO THE LANDLORD'S INCOME. 



In Table XXVIII are given the incomes the landlords received 

 on the same farms as shown in the preceding table. 



Table XXVIII. — Relation of the system of re-htal to the landlord's income on 

 2Jfl farms operated by tenants in Indiana, Illinois, and Ioioa. 





Cash-rent system. 



Share-rent system. 



State. 



Number 

 of farms. 



Land- 

 lord's 

 capital. 



Returns 

 on capital 

 invested. 



Number 

 of farms. 



Land- 

 lord's 

 capital. 



Returns 

 on capital 

 invested. 





14 

 17 



27 



$14,968 

 28, 771 

 19, 114 



Per cent. 

 3.42 

 2.50 

 2.37 



69 

 54 

 66 



$19, 126 

 38, 906 

 21,388 



Per cent. 

 3.55 



Illinois. . , 



Iowa : 



3.89 

 3.49 





58 



20, 951 



2.76 



189 



26, 473 



3.64 







Those who leased their farms on a cash basis received a much lower 

 return than those on a share basis. This is to be expected, for the 

 tenant took the risk and, as in Iowa, did not make as much as if he 

 had rented the farm on shares. 



The relative merits of the different systems of renting will not be 

 discussed here. It is a subject of most vital importance and needs 

 careful investigation. The present basis followed in the share system 

 of rental has serious defects, which need adjusting for different 

 regions according to the crops grown and the type of farming fol- 

 lowed. 



COMPARISON OF CROP YIELDS ON FARMS OPERATED BY OWNERS 

 WITH THOSE OPERATED BY TENANTS. 



It is the general belief that tenant farms have been robbed of their 

 crop-producing power. The records for one year are by no means 

 conclusive, yet when taken from adjoining farms in each district 

 they are an indication of the results secured under both kinds of 

 tenure. 



