The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1936-01-17
FARM TENANCY INCREASES IN THE
1884,. MOUNTAINS ......-

Information gathered at the University
and printed in the News Letter shows that
the increase in the number OF farms opefat-
ed by tenants in North Carolina in the
past five years has been 3.3 per cent. This
is the smallest increase in recent times, but
it is worthy of note that the greater part
of the increase in tenant farming IN this
period has been in the mountain counties,
which exactly reverses the record prior to
recent years. The report is that nearly
every county west of the Blue Ridge exper-
fenced an increase in tenancy in this five
year period amounting to 20 per cent. or
more This development amounted to as
much as two hundred per cent. IN Avery
county; and was above Ga per cent. in Hen
dersOn. '.. .
The number of tenants in Henderson
county in 1885 was recorded as 752. The
increase in tenancy in Buncombe and
Pennsylvania counties was slightly higher
than in Henderson. Other counties adj
joining Henderson showed lower rate OF
increase.
Prof. S. H. Hobbs, Jr., in the News Let
ter, states that the record of the past i've
years is chiefly noteworthy because OF the
reversal of the trend in tenancy which pre-
vailed before 1880. Farm tenancy has not
been problem in the mountain counties in
the past history of the State. A large per-
centage of the mountain farmers lived on
and cultivated their own, lands. In fact
tenancy was the exception and ownership
was the rule. The development of farm
tenancy in this section is not reassurlng;
but in considering the situation, one must
consider the conditions which are no doubt
responsible for it. ,..., ..~ g.. ..' -.
1t is believed by those persons who are
giving careful study to present conditions
on the farms in the mountain area that the
depression" is the cause of increasing
farm tenancy. Citizens who desired to get
back to the land, as a rule persons who
were formerly farmers, but who were IN
able to finance the purchase of farms, have
done what was for them the next best and
wisest thing, they have returned to the
country and rented land for cultivation.
This has increased the number OF farms III
cultivation but has resulted in an increase
in tenant cultivation of farms in the noun
tain counties. -E ." e.. 3D.. 49,
Under the existing conditions, If this
viewpoint is correct, the rise IN tenancy
probably is not to be feared as something
harmful to agricultural development IN
this region. If fair proportion OF the
tenant population of the past five years can
be transferred to the farm owning class in
reasonable length of time, Western North
Carolina will gain by the movement OF ad-
ditional people to the rural districts. -
The Times-News is confident that 1t IS
highly desirable to maintain in the noun
tain counties the high percentage OF land
ownership which has prevailed in the past.
Farm tenancy in this region might avoid
some of the disadvantages of the system as
if prevails in central and eastern North
Carolina, but it would certainly be accom-
panied by many of the defects and diff
eulties which are characteristic of the ten
ant system in other sections. Therefore,
our mountain people should continue TO
stress the advantages of farm and home
owning and an agricultural system found
ed on the cultivation of the soil by those
who have the1yital interest of ownership.