UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



| BULLETIN No. 337 f 



OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY 



Contribution from the Office of Farm Management 



S\-r? ^WU W. L. Spillman, Chief S\fr ^J"U 



Washington, D. C. PROFESSIONAL PAPER January 13, 1916 



A STUDY OF THE TENANT SYSTEMS OF FARMING 

 IN THE YAZOO-MISSISSIPPI DELTA. 



By E. A. Boeger, Agriculturist, and E. A. Goldenweiser, Statistician, 

 Office of Farm Management. 



CONTENTS. 



Page. 



Summary of results 1 



Territory studied 2 



Method of investigation 4 



Methods of renting land 6 



Factors of production 7 



Labor income 10 



Landlords' profits 12 



Acreage and yield of cotton 13 



SUMMARY OF RESULTS. 



This study, made in 1913, is based on 878 records relating to the 

 business of tenants on plantations in the Yazoo-Mississippi Delta. 

 Comparison is made between share croppers, who supply nothing 

 but their labor and receive one-half of the crop; share renters, who 

 supply their own implements and live stock and receive two-thirds 

 or three-fourths of the crop ; and cash renters, who supply the same 

 items as share renters but pay a fixed rent in cash or lint cotton. 



The principal facts brought out by this investigation may be 

 stated as follows : 



The share cropping system is the safest for the tenant. The share 

 cropper is practically assured of average wages for his work, but he 

 rarely makes a large income. 



The share renter fails more frequently to make even a hare living, 

 but has a better chance to make a good income than has the share cropper. 



The cash renter runs still greater risk of failure, but has the greatest 

 opportunity of making a labor income of not less than $1 ,000. 



The average labor income for share croppers was $333; for share 

 renters, $398; and for cash renters, $478. 



From the point of view of the landlord the situation is reversed. 



13654°— Bull. 337—16 1 



