FARM OWNERSHIP AXD TEXAXCY IX TEXAS. 23 



INCOMES FOR THE DIFFERENT TENURE CLASSES. 



COMPARATIVE ECONOMIC CONDITION OF AREA IN 1919. 



Before discussing the incomes earned in 1919 on the farms sur- 

 veyed it is well to consider comparative data on the general economic 

 conditions prevailing in the black land during that year. The year 

 was characterized by unusually high prices of products, especially 

 cotton, by a yield of cotton that was much below the average for 

 the black land, and by unusually high costs of production. Further- 

 more, the fall of the year was unusually wet and the picking of cot- 

 ton was thus delayed to a considerable extent, resulting in an inferior 

 grade of cotton in most cases. 



The total production of cotton for the 19 black-land counties in 

 1919 was 89.1 per cent of the average production for the 20 years, 

 1900 to 1919, inclusive. 23 



The production of cotton for the 6 counties in which most of the 

 survey data were taken was. 74.4 per cent of the 20-year average pro- 

 duction for these counties. Without doubt the acreage of cotton had 

 not been reduced after 1916 (Census data show an increase of 11.8 per 

 cent from 1910 to 1920), for the high prices prevailing from then 

 until 1920 did much to stimulate the farmer to plant more cotton, 

 although the low yields during these years tended to prevent the 

 realization of profits that otherwise might have resulted from high 

 prices. The average of monthly prices of cotton received by pro- 

 ducers for 1919 was 29.6 cents per pound, the highest price received 

 during the 9 years from 1911 to 1919, inclusive. 24 



The economic situation of the black-land farmer in 1919 is further 

 shown in Figure 4. While the trend of prices of articles which the 

 farmer bought and the trend of farm wages were steadily and 

 sharply upward after 1916, the upward trend of gross receipts from 

 cotton (represented by the total value of cotton produced in Ellis 

 and Williamson Counties) was relatively much less abrupt. 



It is doubtful, therefore, if the average income of farmers for 

 whom survey data were taken was larger than usual in 1919, since 

 the cotton crop on which they so largely depend was less than three- 

 fourths of an average crop, and at the same time all costs were un- 

 usually high and weather conditions unfavorable. 



« i ignrt i d total cotton produced are computed from Census publications which report 

 tin- total Dumber of bales ginned annual)) for each county. The figures on production are 

 on tbe basin of 500-pound bale equivalent 



"The Bverage prices received by producers for their cotton during these years were as 

 follow- 1911, 12.7 cents; 1912, 10.0 cents; 1913, 12 cents; 1914, 10.6 cents; 1015, 8.9 

 1916, 13.5 cenl : 1917, 21.5 cenl : 1918, 29.5 cents; 1919, 29.6 cenl (From 

 December, 1920, Crop Reporter, I B Bureau ol Crop Estimate , p. mi i 



