The advocate. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1901-1913, 1912-05-30
IN TENANT FARMING DO ME-
GROES IN EIGHT STATES
OF THE SOUTHLAND.
Interesting Figures
or The Census Bureau Show Break
ing up OF The Big War-times Plan-
tations and Steady Increase in
The Number OF Owners and Ten
ants.

ashington, May 26.-The change
since 1860 in the method Of carry
ing on the work of producing crops
or the substitution Of the Southern
small farm and tenant system for tho
hired labor system Of the Northern
States, in the eight Southern States
east of the Mississippi is outlined ir
statement issued today by Director
Durand, of the Bureau of the Census
Department Of Commerce and Labor
The states considered are: Missis.
sippi, Alabama, Georgia, South Caro-
lima, North Carolina, Tennessee, Ken
tucky and Virginia.
The amount of land in farms was
161, 100000 acres in 1860 and 163,921.-
600 acres in 1910. This is a net in
crease Of only 2,314,0O0 acres, or / 4
per cent. The total land area of these
states is 22S,945 900 acres. The land
in farms, therefore, in 1910, was II 6
per cent of the total land area as COM
before. Thus, while population dou-
bled during the half century, there
was practically no change in the
amount Of land in farms. The net
change in so years was only 10 per
cent
On the other hand, there has been
an increase in the number Of farms,
from 5O4,000 in 1860 to 1,948, 900 in
1910. Thus, there were In 1910 al
most four times as many farms as
there were in 1860. 1t Is clear that
the size of the average farm has de-
creased in proportion to the increase
M the number of farms. The aver
age farm as reported in 1860 was 321
acres, while in 1910 it was 81 acres,
or about one-fourth as large as in
1850.
This shows that the large farms, or
plantations" as they were formerly
termed, continued to be divided into
smaller parcels of land operated by
tenants or small farmers.
The absolute amount of land i'm
proved was 54,135,OO acres in 1850
In 1870 1t had decreased to 47,485, 600
acres, loss Of 6,6O5, 900 acres, or 1913
per cent. But by 1880 the amount OF
improved land increased to 58149, ,00C
acres, which Is almost 100000 acres
above the amount in farms in 1860
In 1890 there were 67,5OO,O0O acres
in 1900 the amount was 75,000,0 ,00C
acres, and in 1910 it was $1,000, ,0OC
acres.
1t is clear, therefore, that it was
not until about 1880 that the South
had completely recovered from the
war, SO far as bringing land into cul
tivation was concerned.
In 1900 i'm this group Of eigh
states one third Of the farms were
operated by colored farmers and two
thirds by white farmers. Further, O
the colored farmers only about one
fifth were owners, while among tn,
white farmers nearly two-thirds livet
on owned farms. In 1900 there wer,
more than 100000 Negro tenants IL
those states. In 1910 the number hat
| increased to considerably more thar
100000. During the last decade there
was an increase in the total -numbe
of farms amounting TO 271 ,802, or 16.:
per cent. The Increase in the numbe
Of whites was 1927, or 13.1 pc
cent. while that Of Negroes was 1872,
525, or 22.9 per cent. showing tha
Negro farmers are increasing at ;
greater rate than the white.
| IT is not only fact that the ten
ant system is a substitute for th'
hired labor system in other parts o
the country, but that in these South
ern states the farmers who report ex
penditures for labor state an exceed
ingly small amount. In the New
England and Middle Atlantic State
an average expenditure Of about $26t
per farm for labor Is maintained
Will i'm the North Central States tn
average runs well over 1925. In tn
mountain and Pacific states it amount
to 5000 per farm. In five Of tn
eight states considered the averag
expenditure for labor per farm re
porting is considerably less thar
800.