STUDY OF FARMING IN SUMTER COUNTY, GEORGIA. 



23 



THE RELATION OF TENURE AND CAPITAL TO PROFITS. 



In Table VI the white owners, owners additional, and tenants are 

 classified into groups based upon the amount of capital invested 

 and showing the number of acres tilled and labor income in each 

 group. It is possible, with the present price of labor, to grow cotton 

 profitably with a very inexpensive equipment, and hence one may 

 begin cotton farming with a small amount of capital. This table 

 shows clearly that the man desiring to farm with a small amount 

 of capital has the best opportunity as a tenant. The second best prop- 

 osition is that of owning a farm and renting additional land for rais- 

 ing crops. The straight owner proposition is third. The reason the 

 owner who rents additional land is making somewhat higher profits 

 than the straight owner with the same capital is that he is able 

 thereby to operate a greater acreage with a given amount of capital. 

 Unless a farmer has a large amount of capital to invest, owning land 

 and renting out a part of it is not desirable. 



Table VI. — The relation of tenure and capital to labor income on 2^7 farms 

 operated by white owners, oivners additional, and tenants, Sumter County, 

 Ga. 



Operator's capital. 



Average number of tilled acres and average labor income in 

 each specified tenure. 



Owners 

 (160 farms). 



Tilled 



area. 



Labor 

 income. 



Owners additional 

 (38 farms). 



Tilled 

 area. 



Labor 

 income. 



Tenants 

 (49 farms). 



Tilled 

 area. 



Labor 

 income. 



$500 and less 



$501 to $1,000 



$1,001 to $2,000... 

 $2,001 to $3,000... 

 $3,001 to $5,000... 

 $5,001 to $9,000... 

 $9,001 to $14,000.. 

 $14,001 to $25,000. 

 Over $25,000 



25 

 45 

 62 

 94 

 139 

 177 

 440 



139 

 122 

 329 

 515 

 736 

 1, 132 

 2,293 



40 

 67 

 93 

 132 

 264 

 303 

 725 



250 

 529 

 717 

 987 

 964 

 3,240 

 3,948 



39 



70 



137 



259 



323 



170 



460 



928 



1,509 



2,725 



The tenant farmer with about $1,000 capital has the use of 70 acres 

 of tilled land, and, as compared with the hired man's wages in this 

 region, makes a very good labor income. In order to operate this 

 much land as an owner renting additional land, which the data 

 shows is the second best proposition, he would need three times as 

 much capital. To operate the same amount of land as a straight 

 owner he would require five times as much capital. 



The tenant operating a farm business representing an investment 

 of between $1,000 and $2,000 has the use of considerably over 100 

 acres of tilled land, while in order to operate this much land as an 

 owner renting additional land he would require over $5,000 capital, 

 and as a straight owner over $9,000. The largest farm operated by a 

 white tenant contained 323 tilled acres. With $4,820 capital this man 



