KENT CONTRACTS IN THE WHEAT BELT. 
PROBABLE INCREASE IN TENANCY IN AREAS VISITED. 
13 
Table VIII shows the increase of tenancy in these areas from 1890 
to 1910: 
Table VIII. — Increase of tenancy in the areas investigated. 
Proportion of tenants 
among farmers. 
1890 
1900 
1910 
Kansas: Barton County 
Nebraska: Clay County 
South Dakota: Spink County.. 
North Dakota: Barnes County 
Minnesota: Renville County. . . 
Per cent. 
21.0 
33.4 
20.0 
8.2 
9.4 
Per cent. 
25.3 
40.7 
26.8 
7.5 
21.6 
Per cent. 
38.0. 
49.8 
43.4 
31.4 
29.0 
It seems probable that the increase in tenancy in these regions will 
continue at least for some years yet. The average size of the farms 
operated by tenants as found in the investigation varied from 202 
acres in the Minnesota area to 489 acres in the North Dakota area. 
The income from such a farm is sufficient to maintain its owner with- 
out much personal labor on his part. He is therefore likely to retire 
and rent his land. Because of the increased cost of a farm, tenants 
find it more difficult to attain the status of owner, and in the future 
will probably remain tenants for a longer period than has been the 
case in the past. This tendency seems to be general in the regions 
in which the economic farm unit is equivalent to a modest fortune. 
