Imperial Valley press., 1922-02-17
BIG GAIN IS SHOWN
in TENANT FARMING

WASHINGTON, d. c., Feb. IT,
Tenant farming in the United States
is growing faster than census figures
on the number of farms would indi-
cate, according to a statement issued
by the United States Department OF
Agriculture. 1t is pointed out that the
increase in acres rented, since 1910
has been 20 per cent, as compared
with an increase Of IA per cent for
the preceding decade, and that the
increase in value of land rented has
been Ill per cent, as against 1876,
while the increase in number of
farms rented has been but A per cent
as against 16 for the 10 years 1900
to 1910.
In the light of this analysis de-
partment economists fail to see any
prospect of early solution of the farm
tenancy problem in the mere fact
that the rate of increase in number
of farms rented is falling off.
"The tenure of American farm real
estate can not correctly be stated
merely in terms of number of farms"
said DIR. c. l.. Stewart, economist in
land economics, in discussing these
figures. "In most sections farms op-
Grated by tenants differ in size and
value from those operated by owners.
Moreover there are large areas of
rented land farmed by so-called 'parl
owners who own farms and
rent additional land. This land is not
accounted for in figures for tenant
farms. In 1920 this partowner ten
ancy involved S9,O00,0OO acres, which
added to the 265,000,000 acres report
ed in tenant farms swells the total of
rented land to 354,OOO,OOO acres, and
the valuation from $24,00O,00O,O to
about $4,000, 100000 in 1920.
'On this basis renters operated 81
per cent of the farm lands of the
United States in 1920, representing AZ
per cent of the improved farm acreage
and "A per cent of the total valuation
of the land, both improved and unim-
proved What this means can best be
realized when it is pointed out that
tenant farmers rent land equal to the
combined area of Texas, Illinois, Iowa,
Arkansas, Michigan, Wisconsin, and
Florida, that the rented improved
land alone equals six times the area
OIL IlliIlOlS, anu Jiic uiilIiplOFcu AfAiiU
rented equals more than the entire
area Of France.
'In point of acreage of all land
leased, both Delaware and Illinois
have long since passed the halfway
mark and in improved land rented the
half way mark has now been passed
bv Alabama, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas,
Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Caro-
lima, South Dakota, Texas, and Wash
ington. In value of farm real estate
rented, Illinois, Oklahoma, Mississippi,
and South Dakota, show percentages
above so. The highest percentage of
tenancy shown by any State, on the
basis of improved acreage, is 1913
for Georgia, while the highest on the
basis of valuation is COS, for Illi-
nois."
The vastness of the area of farm
lands under lease, and the seriousness
of the problem OF" farm tenancy, are
emphasized when it is pointed out
that, if all the half billion dollars
made available to borrowers through
the Federal Farm Loan system dur
ing the past years had been used to
finance tenants in buying farms (in-
stead of the 5 per cent actually thus
used), it would have covered with first
mortgages less than 5 per cent of the
$28, 100000 worth of land now op-
Grated by tenants.