RENT CONTRACTS IN THE WHEAT BELT. 



DISTANCE TO MARKET. 



In the Kansas area the average distance of the farms visited from 

 market is 4.5 miles; in the Nebraska area 3.6 miles; in the South 

 Dakota area 4.4 miles; in the North Dakota area 5 miles; and in 

 the Minnesota area 5.6 miles. Very few of the farms are more than 

 9 miles from the market, and the share of the crop given in no case 

 appears to differ on account of the distance to market, except that 

 the average distance to market of the farms renting .for two-fifths 

 share is less than the average distance of those renting for one-third 

 share in all the localities where these proportions are in vogue. 



Free pasture as well as cheaper hay land was more frequently given 

 to the tenants farthest from market, and tenants farther from market 

 were more frequently paid for delivering the landlords' grain than 

 were those near the market. 



VALUE OF LAND AND BUTLDINGS. 



It was not always apparent in this investigation that the value of 

 land or of the buildings were factors in the determination of the 

 share-rent paid. In all the localities visited where farms were 

 rented for both one-third and two-fifths share, the land was of the 

 greater value on those renting for the greater share. In Kansas and 

 Minnesota the farms renting for two-fifths of the crops had buildings 

 of much higher average value than those of the other farms, but in 

 the Nebraska area the farms renting for two-fifths of the crops had 

 outbuildings of less value than those renting for one-third. The 

 comparative values of land and buildings and the average farm areas 

 are shown in Table IV. 



Table IV. — Comparative value of land and buildings on the farms visited. 





Average acres and estimated values. 





Acres 



per 



farm. 



Value per acre. 



Value of dwellings. 



Value of out- 

 buildings. 



Locality. 



All 

 farms. 



Farms 

 rent- 

 ing for 

 one- 

 third 

 share. 



Farms 

 rent- 

 ing for 

 two- 

 fifths 

 share. 



All 



farms. 



Farms 

 rent- 

 ing for 

 one- 

 third 

 share. 



Farms 

 rent- 

 ing for 

 two- 

 fifths 

 share. 



All 



farms. 



Farms 

 rent- 

 ing for 

 one- 

 third 

 share. 



Farms 

 rent- 

 ing for 

 two- 

 fifths 

 share. 



Kansas: Barton County 



Nebraska: Clay County 



South Dakota: Spink County . 

 North Dakota: Barnes County. 

 Minnesota: Renville County.. 



336 

 225 



427 

 489 

 202 



$80 

 115 

 65 

 60 

 115 



$73 



113 



66 



46 



145 



$83 

 113 



145 



$1, 266 

 1,026 



844 

 1,155 



981 



$1,013 



1,022 



830 



1,233 



660 



$2,133 

 1,027 



979 



$925 



730 



744 



1,194 



909 



$830 



726 



736 



1,300 



950 



$1,100 

 545 



964 



SHARE RENT OF LAND WITHOUT BUILDINGS. 



Some of the tenants in each area visited had found their farms too 

 small and were renting additional land without buildings. Some 

 farmers interviewed were owners of farms too small for their needs, 

 and rented outside land, not necessarily provided with buildings. 



