46 
BULLETIN 1068, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
group have spent on an average only 2.1 years, or 8.6 per cent of the 
total time since they began for themselves in other occupations and 
as farm hands, while the latter group (the poorest cropper accu- 
mulators) have spent on an average 9.9 years, or 51 per cent of their 
total time, in other occupations and as farm hands. Put in another 
way, the best owner accumulators have applied themselves to op- 
erating a farm 91.4 per cent of the time since they began for them- 
selves, while the poorest cropper accumulators have applied them- 
selves only 49 per cent of their time. 
The data showing the value of the labor done on the farm and off 
the farm show that in each tenure group the best accumulators did 
more work on the farm they operated and less work off the farm 
than the poorest accumulators. In other words, the best accumulators 
confined their efforts to their own farms more than did the poorest 
accumulators. 
It is obvioush^ impossible to say to what extent the lack of applica- 
tion to the farm business on the part of the poorest cropper accumu- 
lators is the cause of inability to accumulate or to what extent it is 
the result of it. However, it is very important to note that poorest 
accumulation and the least application to the farm business are 
closely associated, and that the greatest accumulation of wealth and 
the most application to the farm business are closely associated. 
Table 26. — Relation between accumulation of wealth and the application of 
the operator to his farm busi?iess. 
Item of correlation (average 
for each operator in the 
class). 
Croppers. 
Poorest. 
Me- 
dium. 
Best. 
Number of operators 
Average present age 
Average years as farm oper- 
ators 
Average years at other occu- 
pation i 
Average yearsas farm laborer 1 
Per cent" of total years since 
beginning for self spent in 
other occupations and as 
farm laborers 
Average amount per operator 
received for labor done off 
farm, for year 1919 
Average value of operator's 
labor on farm, 1919 
21 
40 
19 
36 
9.5 
9.5 
3.0 
6.9 
2.8 
4.6 
51.0 
43.8 
$253 
$183 
$324 
$292 
22 
11.5 
3.4 
4.3 
$112 
$393 
Tenants. 
Poorest. 
•3.-, 
13.3 
1.9 
3.1 
27.3 
$145 
$425 
Me- 
dium. 
1.4 
2.1 
19.9 
$94 
S494 
Best. 
13.1 
16.0 
$138 
$456 
Owners. 
Poorest. 
21.2 
0.3 
2.7 
12.4 
$124 
$468 
Me- 
dium. 
19.0 
0.7 
1.8 
11.6 
$94 
$491 
22.4 
0.3 
1.8 
8.6 
$67 
$543 
1 Averaged by all operators in group and not by actual number who were in other occupations or farm 
laborer stages. 
RELATION BETWEEN DIVERSIFICATION OF FARM ENTERPRISES AND ACCUMULATION OF 
WEALTH. 
It will be noted from Table 27 that the per cent of all crop land 
on the farm planted to cotton was highest in the group of poorest 
accumulators and smallest in the case of the best accumulators. 
