CONTRACTS USED IN RENTING FARMS ON SHARES. 17 



one-half of the cows and other productive stock. A similar custom 

 prevails in Maryland, Michigan, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, and 

 Washington. 



METHODS OF SHARING EXPENSES. 



A wide variation is seen in different localities in the methods of 

 sharing operating expenses. Frequently individual items of expense 

 are not strictly shared, but are assigned, some to the landlord and 

 some to the tenant, in an attempt to equalize the burden of expense. 

 An increasing tendency, however, is seen toward specifying in the 

 lease the fractions of different items of expense to be borne by the 

 landlord and tenant. Recently the custom seems to be gaining 

 ground of sharing all expenses equally. 



FERTILIZERS. 



Share croppers on cotton farms usually provide one-half of the 

 fertilizer, or in some cases the landlord supplies all fertilizer. Share 

 renters, on the other hand, furnish three-fourths or two-thirds of the 

 fertilizer, according as their share of the cotton is three-fourths or 

 two-thirds. On half-share dairy farms and general farms in Dela- 

 ware the landlord provides one-half of all of the fertilizer. The land- 

 lord almost invariably supplies all lime used on the farm. In Indiana 

 and Illinois the landlord commonly provides one-half of the ferti- 

 lizer, less often all of it. Similar conditions prevail generally through- 

 out the country. The sharing of the cost of fertilizer is often pro- 

 portionate to the share of crops. On the other hand, the landlord 

 often provides the larger share of the fertilizer, for example, two- 

 thirds, three-fifths or three-fourths on half-share rented farms. In 

 many instances the landlord provides all of the fertilizer, especially 

 in case of an annual lease. On tenant truck farms in New Jersey, for 

 example, the landlord furnishes all manure and usually all of the 

 commercial fertilizer. 



SEED. 



The farm owner commonly pays for one-half of the seed or plants 

 in the case of grain, potatoes, corn, cabbage, cucumbers, and various 

 other crops, but all possible methods for dividing the expense of seed 

 are in vogue. For example, the landlord frequently supplies all 

 grass and clover seed and one-half the other seed, or he may furnish 

 all seed, or in some cases the tenant may supply all seed, or finally, 

 the landlord may supply all grass seed while the tenant furnishes 

 other seed, especially in case of an annual lease where the tenant can 

 not expect to derive the full benefit from the use of grass seed. 

 28624°— 18— Bull. 650 3 



