Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1920-08-17

county cannot issue a statement Sucn
as ''S5 per cent of the farm tenants,
the reason being that the number OF
tenants on local farms is practically
negligible. Tenancy is undesirable
but more and more of late it is being
developed in the middle and southern
central states. Unlike states to the
south and west of us, Wisconsin
seems to have encouraged more sue
cessfully the owning of farms, and
local men support the statement that
Marathon county has, practically
speaking, no tenants.
II don't believe there are any farms
to speak of rented in Marathon coun-
ty," w. r. Chellis, secretary OF the
Wausau Chamber of Commerce said
to a Pilot representative, save those
used by real estate men in transfer
These farms, however, are usually
only rented for a short period and
then are disposed of. 1t is a splendid
thing to have the percentage of farm
ownership of which we can boast
here"
L. H. Cook, real estate man who
formerly was county clerk, has had
occasion to look up statistics on this
very question locally. Further than
that, we are informed, not long ago
Mr. Cook, in company with others, en-
deavored to locate tenants in one or
two communities nearby. Hardly one
did they find. There is a mighty
small percentage renting farms in
Marathon county," Mr. Cook declared.
at is almost null In looking up this
I haun lnaatod a191U and
two in town. I believe it would be
not own their farms"
E. A. Dunn, veteran among local
real estate men, is also of the opin-
ion that the number of farms rented
or occupied by tenants is almost neg
| ligible. Zone per cent would almost
cover the number" Mr.. Dunn said.
1T is practically true, | believe, that
tenants are restricted to the few who
rent farms while they are in the way
Of transfer"
So Marathon county farmers can
feel fortunate as they read the ac-
count in interviews with tenants, and
| of the systems of rental or tenancy as
discussed by the department of agri-
| culture in one of its bulletins.
Six distinct systems of renting exist
| in typical counties of the wheat belt
| visited by representatives of the U.
| S. department of agriculture, primar-
/ lily to gather information which would
be helpful in acquainting tenants in
| the principay wheat-prodncing States
/ with the renting systems other than
/ their own in vogue in the region. I'm
| der four of the six systems the land
| lord is given a share of the crops
only, as one-third, two-fffths, one-half,
or two-thirds A fifth system gives
| the landlord half share in both crops
| and stock, while the sixth is cash
| rent system.
More than 400 tenants were inter-
| viewed, and records obtained in the
4 following counties: Burton, kans., in
n about the center of the winter wheat
/ growing area of the Great Plains f.;
| Sphinx County, S. Oak; and Barnes
County, N. Oak, in the center of the
/ principal spring wheat region; Rem
I vile County, Mimi, and Clay County
| Nebr., both typical of farming along
the border of the corn belt. In each
of these counties the organization of
the farms and the practice differ more
| or less on account of difference in
geographic location
In only two of the localities visited
| namely, Kansas and South Dakota, do
1 majority of the tenants think, In
\ view of their past experience, that
| they can become owners in the pres
| ent localities within Is years. The
| owners renting additional land in all
| these localities, while usually admit
| ting that farm is not now so readily
| acquired by tenant as when they
| bought, think that they could still
| become owners, were they starting to
rent From IS to SO per cent of the
| their present locality. in some place
where land costs less. e
| Percentages based on conditions In
/ 1890, 1900, and 1910 show that on the
/ whole there is a decided increase in
I the proportion of tenants among the
| farmers in the counties visited. A
| number of facts I2ay be cited in par
| tial explanation of this tendency. The
| average size of the farms operated by
| tenants varied from 202 acres in the
| Minnesota area to 489 acres in the
North Dakota area. The income from
| such a farm is sufficient to maintain
| its owner without much personal la
| Dor on his part. He is, therefore,
likely to retire and rent his land.
In each Of the localities visited
there were many tenants who own
| some land, prices are lower than
where the tenant lives. Tenants who
bought in their present localities COM
l 1n%a ho; s,1 no
| time of from SIS years in Minnesota
to SO years in Nebraska, after they
started renting More detailed infor-
nation regarding renting systems in
the wheat belt is contained in Depart
ment Bulletin $50, which will be sent
to persons addressing request to. the
United States Department of Agricul-
ture, Washington, D. c.
Under the one-third share system
the landlord receives one-third of the
grain, usually delivered from the
threshing machine, but sometimes
temporarily stored in bins on the
farm. He furnishes land, dwelling
barns, and usually all other farm
structures, fences. material for re-
pairs, and skilled help for making re-
1
when sown; usually he pays the rea
estate and road tax. The tenant fur
nishes the labor, work stock, ma
chinery and tools, grain seed, anC
pays for Irvine and expenses o
threshing.
When the tenant gives half the crOI
as rent, the landlord in addition Il
what he furnishes under the one-thirt
share system, furnishes all the grain
pays half the threshing machine bill
and sometimes pays for half the twin
and receives half the small grain de
livered at the elevators The tenant
obligations under this system diffe
from those under which he gives one
third only in regard to the supply o
grain seed and to the threshing an
Irvine bills. Where land is rented 70
half the wheat, corn land. and some