FARM OWNERSHIP AND TENANCY IN TEXAS. 31 



AGRICULTURAL HISTORY OF FARM OPERATORS. 



TENURE HISTORY. 



TENURE STAGES OF ALL OPERATORS. 



Table 17 shows the percentage of all operators who passed through 

 each of the several tenure stages or were engaged in other occupa- 

 tions, and the aggregate time spent in these stages since the operators 

 began for themselves. These data show the relative importance of 

 the different stages in the tenure history of the operators. 



One-third of all the farm operators, as will be seen from Table 17, 

 had been in other occupations than farming; but the per cent of 

 aggregate years spent in other occupations was comparatively small, 

 being 7.9 per cent of the aggregate time that all operators had been 

 working for themselves. 



Those entering other occupations generally fall into two classes: 

 (1) Operators who had been fairly successful in other occupations 

 and had followed them for a considerable number of years, and (2) 

 operators who were not very successful as farmers and who volun- 

 tarily entered other occupations after having been farm operators 

 or who were compelled to do so because of tenure reversals. Most of 

 the men who have tried other occupations fall within the last class, 

 and it is the influence of this class that makes the average age of 

 entry to other occupations higher than the age of beginning as a 

 farm hand and as a share tenant. 



Table 17. — How the 368 operators have been employed since they began to 

 work for themselves. 





In other 

 occupa- 

 tions. 



Farm 

 hands. 



Share 

 croppers. 



Share 

 tenants. 



Cash 

 tenants . 



Owners 

 addi- 

 tional. 



Owner 

 operators. 



Per cent of all operators who 

 have been 



32.5 

 7.9 



26 

 6 



51.8 

 14.2 

 21 

 5 



41.0 

 10.6 

 27 

 5 



85.8 

 43.8 

 25 

 10 



7.4 

 .9 

 34 

 2 



10.6 

 2 4 



35 

 4 



35.1 



'; years spent 



20.3 



Average ige of operators at time 



of first entering <;ach stage 



■<; years spent in each 



32 

 11 



The farm-hand stage i c used largely as a beginning stage for young 

 unmarried men. The average age of entry into tliis stage was 21 — 

 less than the age of entry into any other stage, and 72 per cenl of the 

 total time spent in this stage was spent, while the operators were 

 single. However, share croppers, to a greater extent than any other 

 tenure group, have been reversed to the hired man stage, and have, 

 consequently, -pent more time after marriage in the farm hand stt 



than have the men: her- of the "I her tenure groups. 



