20 



BULLETIN" 1068, IT. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



practices are quite well known and there is less friction due to mis- 

 understanding between landlords and tenants than one would ex- 

 pect. 



The principal objection to this method of renting is that it does not 

 induce changes in the rent contract as the tenant develops and as 

 he and his landlord learn to appreciate each other better through 

 experience. 21 Written contracts would probably induce a greater 

 care in working out the details to fit changed conditions. 



Data on the details of the rent contracts of 259 tenants are given 

 in Table 12. Of those reporting on the question, only 13.5 per cent 

 had written contracts. Only 1 share cropper out of 61 reporting had 

 a written contract. Only 4 contracts out of a total of 239 ran for 

 more than a year. 



Table 12. — Provision of rent contracts on 259 rented farms. 1 





Nature of contract. 



Duration of contract. 



Subrenting privi- 

 leges. 



Tenure class. 



Verbal. 



Written. 



One year. 



More than 

 ' one year. 



Num- 

 ber 

 who 

 were 

 al- 

 lowed 

 to 



sub- 

 rent. 



Num- 

 ber 

 who 

 were 

 not al- 

 lowed 

 to 



sub- 

 rent. 



Num- 





Num- 

 ber. 



Per 



cent of 

 those 

 report- 

 ing. 



Num- 

 ber. 



Per 

 cent of 

 those 

 report- 

 ing. 



Num- 

 ber. 



Per 



cent of 

 those 

 report- 

 ing. 



Num- 

 ber. 



Per 

 cent of 

 those 

 report- 

 ing. 



ber 

 not 

 report- 

 ing. 





60 



155 



2 



96.8 

 82.4 

 20.0 



1 

 25 

 8 



1.6 



13.3 

 80.0 



59 

 168 



8 



98.3 



98.8 

 88.9 



1 

 2 



1.7 

 1.2 



10 

 67 

 5 



19 



41 



2 



36 





85 



Owners additional 



1 



11.1 



13 



1 Frequently no dependable information on certain points could be obtained, hence the number of opera- 

 tors on which the data in this table are based varies considerably. 



The privilege of subrenting is not usually allowed, and frequently 

 is not mentioned in contracts, since a provision in the landlord's lien 

 law makes it illegal to subrent land without the landlord's consent. 

 It will be seen, however, that a greater proportion of share tenants 

 than of share croppers are allowed to subrent. 



Thirty-six farms were found where the landlord had agreed to 

 pay the tenant for improvements put on the place, provided the land- 

 lord gave his permission to have the improvements put on the farm. 

 Usually it was agreed that when the tenant left the farm the land- 

 lord would buy the improvements himself or require the tenant fol- 

 lowing to buy them. This provision would unquestionably be de- 

 sirable for most rent contracts. Landlords frequently complain 

 that they can not repair old improvements or put new ones on the 



21 Many cases were found where absolutely nothing as to details of rent contracts was 

 said for years, the tenant simply asking his landlord, some time in the fall, if it were 

 agreeable to remain on the farm another year. 



