The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1919-12-31
Farm Tenancy in South Carolina.

sixtythree ps, cent of: all of the
farms in South Carolina are oper-
,, ated by tenants IN 1910 there, We're
176,434. farms in this State, and Of
these only 65,213 were operated by
owners and managers. -
Only two States in the nation have
a greater percentage Of tenancy than
| this State. These are Mississippi with (
66.1 per cent of all her farms operated
by tenants, and Georgia with 65.S per I,
cent -; :,s:.zsss sssss
The general average TENANCY
the East Central States, ..1 includE
ing Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michiga5
ard Wisconsin was 81 per cent FIRE
highest groups are the West South
Central States with 52.S.l, per- ces.t
tenancy, the East South Central with
5o.7 per cent, and the South Atlantic
with 45.9 per cent. These three eehs
sist largely Of the cotton growing
States. ~.
While the term tenant" according
to the Thirteenth Census interpfexa.
ton, includes both share-cropp and
renters, the situation is not materially
modified by this qualification: TIe
essential point is that the, greater
percentage Of the farms in South Car
DINA are operated by others tiTah
the owners themselves st. ts
Moreover, the tendency in this di-
rection seems to be on the inceraseS Ip.s
1880 the percentage Of tenancy III
South Carolina was 50.3: in 1Ssesit
was 55.33: and in 1900 the figure zMaB
81. i. There has been ACCOMPANYING
this a progressive decrease in the Z
size Of farms from 541 acres in 13i56
10 76.6 acres in 1910 The number
Of tenant farmers in 1880 was 1929
while in 1910 it was 111,221.
Twenty-four counties in South Car
olina average more than SO per cent
tenancy. Marlboro leads With 50.
per cent, Abbeville and Union follo1a
ing with 77.9 per cent and 1872 per
cent respectively.
This situation assumes unusual i'm
portance when we consider IT'S re1h-
ton to the existing boil weevir situ-
alton. 1t is the tenant farmer ,wfp
will find the matter Of adjustment
most difficult He has never leaned
toward the system Of safe farming
which makes him provide his food
and feed supplies at home; andrit is
going to be hard to instill into him
as quickly as is necessary new meth
ods Of farming which must be learned
to accommodate an enforced change
from the present system OF agricui-
ture.
The opportunities of landowners,
merchants: bankers. and businessInen
to aid in this program. of education
for rcadjustment constitutes respon
sibility: for = is the tenant farmer
a. Il rule, who is most Inaccessible
to the ordinary methods :; OF propas
ganda. He must be reached by the
direct contact Of those who are ac-
customed to advise him in his busi-
ress affairs.
Also: it is. generally concededs that
ownership is better type Of farm
ing than tenancy. Denmark, Ireland,
England, and more recently =: .lew
republic of, Czecho-SIovakia have IN
auGurated. national policies to encour>
age ownership. An increasing; tend
ency towards tenant farming is to
be regretted Everything eossible
should be done TO stimulate the own
ers living on their own farms afid
taking an active interest in the Yitai
matters of mainsaining soil fertility
and building up community 1fe.-IJ
versity Weekly News.