KENT CONTRACTS IN THE WHEAT BELT. 
9 
DISTANCE TO MARKET. 
In the Kansas area the average distance of the farms visited from 
market is 4.5 miles; in the Nebraska area 3.6 miles; in the South 
Dakota area 4.4 miles; in the North Dakota area 5 miles; and ;n 
the Minnesota area 5.6 miles. Very few of the farms are more than 
9 miles from the market, and the share of the crop given in no case 
appears to differ on account of the distance to market, except that 
the average distance to market of the farms renting for two-fifths 
share is less than the average distance of those renting for one-third 
share in all the localities where these proportions are in vogue. 
Free pasture as well as cheaper hay land was more frequently given 
to the tenants farthest from market, and tenants farther from market 
were more frequently paid for delivering the landlords' grain than 
were those near the market. 
VALUE OF LAND AND BUILDINGS. 
It was not always apparent in this investigation that the value of 
land or of the buildings were factors in the determination of the 
share-rent paid. In all the localities visited where farms were 
rented for both one-third and two-fifths share, the land was of the 
greater value on those renting for the greater share. In Kansas and 
Minnesota the farms renting for two-fifths of the crops had buildings 
of much higher average value than those of the other farms, but in 
the Nebraska area the farms renting for two-fifths of the crops had 
outbuildings of less value than those renting for one-third. The 
comparative values of land and buildings and the average farm areas 
are shown in Table IV. 
Table TV.— Comparative value of land and buildings on the farms visited. 
Average acres and estimated values. 
Acres 
per 
farm. 
Value per acre. 
Value of dwellings. 
Value of out- 
buildings. 
Locality. 
All 
farms. 
Farms 
rent- 
ing for 
one- 
third 
share. 
Farms 
rent- 
ing for 
two- 
fifths 
share. 
All 
farms. 
Farms 
rent- 
ing for 
one- 
third 
share. 
Farms 
rent- 
ing for 
two- 
fifths 
share. 
All 
farms. 
Farms 
rent- 
ing for 
one- 
third 
share. 
Farms 
rent- 
ing for 
two- 
fifths 
share. 
Kansas: Barton County 
Nebraska: Clay County 
South Dakota: Spink County. 
North Dakota: Barnes County. 
Minnesota: Renville County. . 
336 
225 
427 
489 
202 
$80 
115 
65 
60 
115 
$73 
113 
66 
46 
145 
$83 
113 
v '"i4s" 
$1,266 
1,026 
844 
1,155 
981 
$1,013 
1, 022 
830 
1,233 
660 
$2, 133 
1,027 
'"979" 
$925 
730 
744 
1,194 
909 
$830 
726 
736 
1,300 
950 
$1, 100 
545 
'""964 
SHARE RENT OF LAND WITHOUT BUILDINGS. 
Some of the tenants in each area visited had found their farms too 
small and were renting additional land without buildings. Some 
farmers interviewed were owners of farms too small for their needs, 
and rented outside land, not necessarily provided with buildings. 
