OWNERSHIP OF TENANT FARMS IN THE UNITED STATES 47 
common in the Northern as in the Southern States, because of the 
much greater value per acre and the larger size of rented farms in the 
Northern States. In the California area, and in 12 of the 14 south- 
ern areas studied, oyer 10 per cent of the rented farms were in the 
possession of owners with five or more rented farms. In four of the 
areas — in the Dakotas, Alabama, Mississippi, and California — ■ 
more than 20 per cent of the rented acreage was in the possession of 
persons with 1,000 or more rented acres. In four areas — in central 
Illinois, in northwestern Iowa, in the Delta of Mississippi, and in 
the Sacramento Valley in California — more than half of the value of 
the rented farm real estate was in the possession of persons who 
owned rented farm property valued at $75,000 or more. 
Less absenteeism is shown in the ownership of southern farms 
than of northern farms and less of eastern than of western farms. 
The greatest degree of absenteeism is shown in the Dakota counties 
where over 14 per cent of the rented farms were owned by persons 
resident neither in the State nor in adjoining States. Between 5 
and 6 per cent of the rented farms in the southwestern Oklahoma, 
central Kansas, and central Illinois areas were owned by persons 
resident neither in the State nor in adjoining States. In the other 
areas there was even less absenteeism. It is reassuring to know that 
over 92 per cent of the rented farms in the 184 counties of the 24 
States studied were owned by persons resident in the county in which 
the land was located or in counties adjoining. In none of the areas 
was this percentage less than 74 and in none of the counties less 
than 61. 
Extent to which rented farms were owned by absentees probably 
decreased slightly in the 20-year period between 1900 and 1920. In 
1900, 78.8 per cent of the rented farms were owned by persons 
resident in the same county and 94.7 per cent were owned by persons 
resident in the same State. In 1920, 80.4 per cent were owned by 
persons who resided in the same county and 94.9 per cent were owned 
by persons resident in the same State. 
Most persons who own rented farms have worked on farms before 
and while acquiring their farms. Few have inherited farm land 
without working on it. Only 16 per cent of the acreage owned by 
persons owning rented farms was inherited and only 8 per cent of 
male owners of rented farms were without farm experience. Al- 
though most of the acreage owned by women owners of rented farms 
was acquired through the death of relatives or husbands, only 15 
per cent of the persons who owned rented farms were women and 
they were not as large individual holders of land as men. 
The fact that 81 per cent of the acreage owned by landlords was 
acquired by purchase or homes teading, together with the fact that 
almost half of the male owners of rented farms have farmed as ten- 
ants and almost three-fourths have farmed as owners, suggests that 
in acquiring their property the majority of farm landlords have 
worked on farms. Of the owners, 84 per cent had purchased some 
of their land and 27 per cent had inherited some of it. 
In the South, landlordism is largely a phase of farm or plantation 
operation. Landlords usually live on the land or near it, farm a 
part of it with hired labor, and rent the remainder to tenants or 
croppers. Of owners of southern farms, 54 per cent reported their 
occupation as farming and 67 per cent reported their residence as on 
farms. 
