FAKM MANAGEMENT IN SUMTER COUNTY, GA. 3 



ing of more legumes, and the practice of following a definite rota- 

 tion became well-established upon many of the farms. More cow- 

 peas, velvet beans, and peanut's were planted with corn, and more 

 cowpeas followed the small grain crops. The production of hogs 

 and peanuts for market was substantially increased. 



By carrying the business analysis of farms operated by white 

 owners and tenants and by colored owners and tenants separately in 

 the tables that follow, an opportunity for comparisons that serve to 

 throw light on certain important economic problems of southern 

 agriculture was presented. 



SUMMARY OF RESULTS. 



White owners operated about half of both the 534 farms studied in 

 1913 and the 550 studied in 1918, these farms representing more than 

 two-thirds of the total crop acreage reported, and producing almost 

 three-fourths of the cotton. Colored tenants were the most numerous 

 of the other classes, operating one-third of all farms, handling one- 

 sixth of the crop acreage, and producing almost one-sixth of the 

 cotton. The farms ranged in size from less than 50 acres to over 1,000, 

 and yields of lint cotton from less than 100 pounds to over 500 per 

 acre. 



Outstanding changes in farm organization disclosed as having 

 taken place between 1913 and 1918 (white-owner farms) were as 

 follows : 



Cotton acreage fer farm.^ decreased ome-third — 



1913 ■"■a™*™"™"— "-"■■i"""'" ■-■«—— (57 per cent crop acreage.) 



Corn acreage increased tUl it about equaled cotton acreage — 



1913 ^BHBHiHHraHH (28 per cent of crop acreage.) 



1918 — fflMUBBnaiM MMH (37 pcr cent.) 

 Wheat acreage increased — 



1913, almost none. 



1918, wheat grown on about two-thirds of farms. 

 Peanut acreage increased — 



1913 ra (2 per cent of crop acreage.) 



1918 ^smmm (10 per cent.) 

 Applications of fertilizer decreased 37 per cent — 



1913, 390 pounds per acre. 



1918, 244 pounds per acre. 

 Introduction of the velvet hean (usually interplanted with corn). 

 Increase in live-stock production (particularly hogs). 

 Increase in acreage of legumes (velvet beans, cowpeas, and pea- 

 nuts) . 



Wider utilization of land for second and interplanted crops. 

 Tendency of share-cropper labor to supplant wage labor. 



