18 BULLETIN 492, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



were operated with additional land rented. These farms averaged 77 

 tilled acres, of which 26 per cent was rented additional. They had 

 an average capital of $3,043, a farm income of $691, and a labor 

 income of $539. 



The remaining 8 farms owned by colored farmers were operated 

 as owners renting out part of their land. These farms averaged 307 

 acres of tilled land, of which 45 per cent was rented out. The average 

 capital invested was $15,998, which returned them a farm income of 

 $1,295 and a labor income of $495. 



The 186 colored tenants, as previously stated, were operators re- 

 sponsible for the entire operation of the farm. They farmed on the 

 average 59 acres, and with $491 capital realized a farm income of 

 $336 and a labor income of $312. It is doubtful whether, on the 

 average, these men make any higher profits than the share croppers, 

 as under the share-cropper system the profits of the land owner are 

 dependent upon the quality of the crops grown by the cropper. The 

 most desirable feature of the tenant system, from the standpoint of 

 the tenant, is that in the main he is emancipated from the directing 

 authority of the landlord and thus has more liberty than the share 

 cropper to do as he likes. 



THE FAMILY INCOME. 



The family income is the amount of money available for the family 

 living and the payment of interest on indebtedness after deducting 

 cash expenses from total receipts. For the operators of small farms, 

 and especially for most of the colored operators, this is the income of 

 most concern to the family welfare. 



The value of family labor per farm for the 268 white-owner farms 

 was $43. This, when added to the farm income of $1,812, is of little 

 concern to these farmers as a class. Indeed, many of these farms 

 reported no family labor except that done by the operator. 



Thirty-one of these farms, operated almost entirely by the farmer 

 and his family, had on the average 36 acres of land devoted to crops, 

 of which 16 acres were in cotton, 14 in corn, and the rest in other 

 crops. Their average investment was $3,000, and all but 5 were free 

 from mortgage. The families averaged 5 in number, with 2 under 

 16 years of age, and the value of family labor, besides that performed 

 by the operator, averaged $220. With the aid of $28 worth of extra 

 labor for picking cotton, these farmers realized an average family 

 income of $551. This represents the amount of money available for 

 the payment of living expenses, interest upon mortgage, and for 

 savings. The largest families received the highest incomes. Three 

 of these farms had 10 persons or more per family and made a family 

 income of over $800 each. 



