48 
BULLETIN 1269, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
Comparing white and colored croppers and tenants in the selected 
counties, the colored fanners are found to be relatively more stable 
in occupancy than whites. For example, more than half of the 
whites (53.2 per cent) were reported as occupying the farms they 
operated for a period of less than two years, as compared with two- 
fifths (39.6 per cent) of the colored for the same period. These rela- 
tive proportions hold for periods of two years or more (see Table 1, 
Appendix D). This occurrence has been explained by the fact that 
a larger proportion of white than colored farmers move from tenant 
to owner status as the term of occupancy lengthens. 43 
The figures showing the number of years the farm was occupied by 
croppers and tenants, as reported here, should be considered in the 
light of two modifications. First, when the census of 1920 was 
taken (in January), most of those reported as having been on the 
farm for less than a year had been there only a few days, and those 
reported for one year were on their second year's contract. Sec- 
ond, the number of years of occupancy reported fails to show the 
complete term of occupancy, because the term of tenure in each case 
was not concluded at the time the census was taken. 
Table 15. — Term of occupancy of croppers and tenants 1 on selected plantations, 
1920-21 
Term of occupancy 
Number 
of crop- 
pers and 
tenants 
Percentage in each group 
Croppers Tenants Total 
1 year 
2 to 4 years 
5 to 9 years 
10 years and over 
Total 2 
552 
344 
41S 
21.2 
40.7 
20.4 
17.7 
6.8 
26.6 
24.8 
41.8 
100.0 
100.0 
15.8 
35,4 
22.0 
26.8 
100.0 
1 About 95 per cent of these croppers and tenants were colored. 
2 The average number of years of continuous occupancy of croppers (971) was 5.1; tenants (589), 
both classes combined (1,560), 6.6 years. 
for 
The figures in Table 14 showing the term of occupancy in selected 
counties indicate more frequent changes of croppers and tenants than 
probably occurs on the larger plantations. This is shown, particu- 
larly in the case of tenants, by comparative data in Table 15. Here 
41.8 per cent of the tenants enumerated had lived on the same 
plantations 10 years or longer. These data are subject to the same 
error of incomplete term of occupancy as explained in connection 
with census data. This higher rate of continuous occupancy as 
compared with the census data may be due to changes of farms on 
the same plantation, which is not considered as a change of occupancy 
in these data. It may also be true that tenants were reported in con- 
tinuous occupancy who had changed to the wages status during the 
period. Considerable effort was exercised to avoid this error. The 
evidence here presented would indicate that the shifting of croppers 
and tenants involves a relatively small percentage of the total num- 
ber, but the shifting which does occur is probably more noticeable 
and annoying to plantation operators, because such u : shifters" some- 
times Leave without warning and with their accounts unpaid. 
' Bee Coulter, John Lee, "Stability of Farm operators," report of the Bureau of the Census, iyi4. 
