STUDY OF FARMING IN SUMTER COUNTY, GEORGIA. 37 



in this item increases as the size of farm increases, with the single 

 exception of the 251 to 450 acre group. Only one out of three of 

 the farms with 50 acres or less of tilled land has a tenant house, 

 while of the farms with 51 to 100 tilled acres 83 per cent have tenant 

 houses. All the farms of over 100 tilled acres have tenant houses, 

 ranging in number from 2 to 26, according to size of farm. The 

 farms from 51 to 100 tilled acres average 2; from 101 to 150 acres, 4; 

 from 151 to 250 acres, 6; from 251 to 450 acres, 9; and over 450 

 acres, 18 per farm. 



On the farms of the smallest-size group no cotton gins were found 

 and but 1 until the farms reached over 150 tilled acres. Ginhouses 

 and equipment constitute over 2 per cent of the total investment in 

 the groups of 251 to 450 acres and of over 450 acres. 



The investment in barns, sheds, etc., has been grouped under one 

 heading as " other buildings." This investment is relatively higher 

 on the smaller farms, but the relation is not so marked as it is with 

 the dwellings. 



Of the working capital the item of "other live stock" is the only 

 one showing any variation from size of farm. On the farms of the 

 smallest size group this item comprises 2.5 per cent of the total in- 

 vestment and then there is a decrease as size of farm increases, until 

 on the farms of the largest size group less than one-half of 1 per cent 

 of the investment is in live stock other than work stock. 



The items of work stock, machinery, feed and supplies and cash 

 for operating expenses show practically the same relative importance 

 for all size groups, the variation for any of these items from the 

 average of all farms not equaling 1 per cent. 



The highest percentage of investment in cash to run the farm 

 occurs in the largest size group. A large proportion of the men on 

 the larger farms furnished money for the payment of their yearly 

 expenses, yet the average outlay was so large that a number of these 

 had to borrow additional money. There were others who depended 

 entirely upon borrowing for this purpose. 



The variation in the different size groups of the investment in 

 work stock is of no consequence. Where a slight variation does exist 

 it is due primarily to a difference in the value of work stock per head. 



Table XIII shows the relation of size of farm to the amount and 

 distribution of investment on the 186 farms operated by colored 

 tenants. The amount of capital invested upon these farms by tenant 

 and landlord ranges from about $2,000 to over $7,000. The size of 

 the farm operated by these tenants has no particular bearing upon 

 the proportion of capital invested in real estate, live stock, machinery, 

 and other working capital, excepting in case of the smallest size 

 group. In this group the investment in real estate is high and in 

 work stock low, due mainly to the fact that each of many of these 



