Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1913-11-07
TENANT FARMING IN THE SOUTH;
CONDITIONS IN NOXUBEE.

Much comment has been caused by the 1911
census figures showing a marked increase IN INK
South in the number Of tenant farmers as com
pared to the farmers owning their farms. In MIS-
sissippi the number of farmers tiIling their owl
land in 1880 was 81 in every hundred or more thal
half. In 1910 their number was only "a, or one
third.
The Vicksburg Herald attributes this to farm
ing failures. mainly from too little diVersihcat1oI
and too much dependence on cotton, The boil wee
vii has helped along this decadence, and in the
Delta, the tendency to increase the acreage Of
large plantations has cut out many small lane
holders.
That this decrease in the numberO of hometown
ing farmers is an unhopeful sign will be agreed tt
by every one. 1t indicates unfortunate economic
conditions and its political and social aspect is dis
cauraging. The home-oWners and more especial!
the agricultural h~ome-0Wners are the basis, 1oun
dation and m~ainstay Of the country.
There are at hand no figures showing with any
exactness conditions in Noxubee county in this
particular. But that there has been no decrease
in the number of farmers in this county owning
their farms, either in actual numbers or in proper
ton to the number of tenant farmers, is apparen
to anv one acquainted with conditions here. Ant
from the figures on the land rolls of NoXubee to-
the last thirty years a very fair idea can be g"ineC
of the situation here.
The population of the county, census figures
in 1880 was 9,S74; in 1890, 27,338; in 1900, 3O,6lo
in 1910, %, 503.
From the land rolls Of the county it is show
Al.l ~ ,,,,,I,nr of ,orCoOc occoccn1 with lntI
the county were as follows;
In 1880, 1869;
In 1890, $3.50;
In 1900, 1896;
In 1910, 2,165;
In 1913, 2,447.
Part of the increase in The last three years il
due to two facts-the sale Of lots in the depot sub
division of Macon city, and the fact that persons
owning land in several road districts are now as
sessed in each district. Another deduction mus
be made for those land owners who own only towl
lots in the city Of Macon and the towns Of Brooks
vile and Shuqualak. A liberal estimate of al
these proper deductions would be between 400 an(
500, leaving say 1000 persons in NoXubee count,
owning farm lands. This is conservative, becaus,
many land assessments are in the name of one co
tenant where several persons are landowners ant
many estates are assessed in one name where Their
are several heirs all of whom should be listed a
owners of farm lands.
CT the 1860 land assessments in 1890, 260 shoul,
be deducted as owning only town lots, leaving 100
farm land owners at that time. This shows an in
crease of 400 farm land owners in the county
Therefore with no increase in population, the nun
Der of persons in Noxubee owning farms has beel
increased in the last twenty-three years by 400.
Another fact to be considered is that far fewe
negroes are land holders now than twenty or thirt
years ago. In the last ten years not a dozen whit
farmers in the county have been sold out unde
mortgage foreclosures while every year many ne
groes lose their lands.
The increase in our county in white fal mer
owning their own farms is due to two things
Something like 100 men from the North and Yves
have come here and purchased farms and are no,
resident citizens. But the main increase has bee
from native born sons of the soil who have inherit
ed or bought land, and remained in the county
There has been almost no emigration of countr
boys from Noxubee.
The county has just begun its real developmer
has just gotten a good start. The next ten yeal
will see a vast improvement and as prosperous an
happy community as can be found anywhere.
WIZ CnAyC XyICINnAE