10 
BULLETIN 1269, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
The three dominant elements expressed in the definition are size, 
unity of operation, and control. The definition eliminates scattered 
tracts of land operated by the same owner. The size of the planta- 
tion, instead of being measured by the area of the land, is determined 
by the amount of land, amount of capital and number of laborers 
employed, and the value of output. The difference between planta- 
tions employing only wage-labor and large farms of similar organiza- 
tion in other parts of the country is even less easily distinguished. 
One distinguishing characteristic, however, is thought to exist. The 
typical plantation of this sort carries a force of regular labor through- 
out the year, capable of doing the greater part of the regular work 
required for making and harvesting the crop, whereas the large 
farm producing annual crops somewhat common to other sections 
depends primarily upon an irregular labor force adapted to seasonal 
work. Therefore, the chief characteristic of the plantation system 
is found in the degree of control exercised over the labor. From this it 
may be seen that certain farms outside the South approach the planta- 
tion type in many respects, while certain so-called plantations are in 
reality large farms of the nonplantation type. 
Size of plantations. — The size of the plantation ranges from a few 
hundred acres to several thousand. The average size, arrived at 
from data from several different sources, measured in terms of acres 
and value, is shown in Table 3. While the average size of all planta- 
tions reported in 1910 was about 432 cultivated acres, the size 
representing the more typical organization is nearer the 723 acres 
reported for plantations employing 10 or more croppers and tenants. 
The present average value oiland and improvements for these planta- 
tions is probably double that shown for 1910. 
Table 3. — Size of -plantations 
Planta- 
tions 
reported 
Average size 
Average 
value of 
Data relating to— 
Total 
Im- 
proved 
land and 
improve- 
ments 
(1) All plantations employing croppers and tenants in 325 coun- 
ties (census data, 1910) ._ . ........ ._. 
Number 
22, 157 
6,351 
7,296 
2,109 
207 
Acres 
867.4 
861.2 
1, 459. 7 
1,294.9 
2, 734. 5 
Acres 
431.9 
473.9 
723.2 
735.4 
1, 637. 1 
Dollars 
19, 879 
(2) All plantations employing croppers and tenants in 75 se- 
lected counties (census data, 1910) 1 . ... 
23,151 
(3) All plantations of 10 or more croppers and tenants (census 
data, 1910) 2 
34,446 
(4) All plantations of 10 or more croppers and tenants in 55 
37,461 
(5) Typical plantations selected as the basis of the present study 
(1920-21) ^. 
1 Counties are selected in Groups 2, 3, and 4, where the typical plantation system is known to exist . 
i is1 ical data ai e presented separately for plantations of 10 or more tenants and croppers, because 
such plantations are more typical. 
Georgia and Smith Carolina are omitted for lack of com pletedata. 
' These plantations are considered of the better type, and some of them represent more than one unit of 
organization like that shown by the chart, Figure 4. For this reason, the average size is somewhat larger 
than otherwise would be the case. 
The desirable size of the plantation unit, for efficiency in manage- 
ment, varies with Localities according to the type of agriculture and 
the efficiency and reliability of the labor. It was found on the 
plantations studied that 70 out of 96 farm managers directed planta- 
tions of between 925 and 1,074 improved acres. If the plantation is 
