22 
BULLETIN 1068, U. S. DEPAETMENT OE AGRICULTURE. 
IT share croppers who reported on this, question. 22 Share tenants 
receive very little close supervision. Nine out of each ten said they 
were given no supervision by their landlords, and the average number 
of visits by landlords was only 5 during the year. 
Table 14. — Supervision of tenants by landlords. 
Operators whose 
landlords give 
no supervision. 
Operators whose 
landlords give 
Operators whose 
landlords give 
Visits of landlord 
'•little ' super- 
close supervi- 
per year. 
vision . 
sion. 1 
Tenure class. 
Number. 
Per cent 
of those 
report- 
ing. 
Number. 
Per cent 
of those 
report- 
ing. 
Number. 
Per cent 
of those 
report- 
ing. 
Croppers j 
Tenants 
Owners addition al . . 
30 
161 
9 
51.7 
91.6 
100.0 ... 
5 
8 
8.6 
4.5 
23 
39.7 
3.9 
17 
100 
3 
85 
5 
1.7 
Number 
oper- 
ators 
report- 
ing. 
Average 
number 
of visits 
per 
oper- 
ator. 
1 •'• Close supervision " as here used means close attention and direction as to how and when the details 
of farm work should be done: also " no supervision" does not imply that the landlord does not keep in touch 
with the farm work. but. rather, that he leaves the tenant to work out the execution of the details of farm 
operations. 
This great difference between the amounts of supervision given by 
landlords of the two renting classes accounts in part for the social 
stigma, popularly placed on the cropper stage. It is unfortunate 
that conditions foster this dislike for the cropper stage, for cropper 
farming can be made to exercise a useful and desirable function in 
the tenure system of the black land. It offers the young, inex- 
perienced man. who has little capital, an opportunity to assume part 
of the risks involved in operating a farm, with a good chance of 
receiving in return an increased reward over farm wages as payment 
for assuming part of the responsibilities and risks of an operator. 
If landlords were more careful about the nature of their supervision 
and granted more privileges as regards raising a garden, and keeping 
poultry, and a cow. they would do much to obviate the popular dis- 
like for the cropper stage. 
Operators were asked if they noted any changes taking place in 
renting practices. Of 168 operators answering the question. 126 
noticed no changes, which probably means a lack of observataion on 
the part of most of the operators. Many, however, believe that the 
bonus system was on the decline and that it was getting easier to 
obtain desirable share-tenant contracts from the viewpoint of the 
tenants. 
— It should bo borne in mind that the average man does not like to answer questions 
of this nature, and for this reason answers were not secured from all operators. Further- 
more, some of the answers secured were possibly misleading, and where there was doubt 
concerning the answer given and no verification could be had it was discarded. 
