The change in the Smith boys was greater than the change in the land. When they came to town, there was a spring in their steps and a light in their eyes never seen before. They worked hard all the week, and often the women worked with them. But on Sunday, when they put on their best and went out to church, they looked like "Lords of the Soil." They met every payment except one and that year there was a total crop failure on account of the drought, and the man who sold them the land simply said, "Forget this year's payment and make it nine years instead of eight." I will make no comments upon this story, but let the facts speak for themselves." Southern farmers, without training in the schools, have risen by virtue of sheer physical labor to landownership. The lack of education is, however, likely to be reflected in poor cultural standards and inadequate care of the soil. The following case comes from Tennessee: Mr. Watkins, twenty years ago, began renting land and growing cotton. He is one of the hardest of workers, in a physical sense, but illiterate. He lives at home; buying little or none of meat, lard, corn, preserves, canned goods, vege tables, fruits, chickens, eggs, beef, etc. He raises all this at home. He wears denims and so does his family. All the family worked at the home and in the fields. Altho unscien tific in his methods he had lots of good conservative ideas about farming and crops. He always has grown plenty of feed crops for the farm work stock. He cannot read or write, but hard common sense earned in the school of experience is his chief asset in business methods. Financially, he was poor, but always a shrewd but honest trader. His earnings he invested in small tracts of land until now he owns about 500 acres with a comfortable home, gin, saw mill and grist mill on it. He buys, sells and trades livestock the entire year in addition to farming. He has been very liberal with those who helped him make and save. He has given each son and daughter 50 acres to begin on as they marry.
The worst of this story is that Mr. Watkins is a soil miner; taking off crop after crop and putting back nothing, and his land is showing it. It also is washing badly due to lack of terracing and proper drainage. Land is cheap here, but is broken and somewhat eroded. About $15.00 to $20.00 per acre is the prevailing price of farm land. Approximately % to 1/4 tillable land is the average. It produces from to 1 bale per acre, depending on fertilization and methods used. But it takes a real manager to make a profit at it. Mr. Watkins needs the help of the County Agent badly and will not take advantage of it. He made what he has with hard work, living at home, and saving by following a stand ard of living that most informed people are not willing to follow. He does not use fertilizer but does plant legumes on part of his land every year. He has learned only one step, in my opinion, in the true economic and scientific produc tion of cotton on a profitable basis." A hard-working tenant may get ahead enough to buy a farm with the aid of a loan from a Federal Land Bank. The following is the case of a farmer in the Arkansas Delta: Harry Barnett Married in August, 1921. Rented 70 acres of cotton land
in 1922. Had everything to buy. Owed $400.00 to start. Paid out and had a bit left. 1923 about same, and paid a few hundred on 80 acres of land.
1924 rented 40 acres more land and another team and made small payment on own land.
1925 rented more land and bought two more teams.
1926 bought 200 acres of good land for $19,000.00, turn ing in equity in 80 acres at $1500.00. Bought more teams and worked same land as heretofore, besides 120 acres of own 200 acres. (C. Barnett rented 80 acres of his land.) Rent of farm paid all interest and $1000.00 on principal.
Bought 250 good steers ($15,000.00) and fed for ninety days on own land, thereby doubling production upon 60 acres, which was a good profit on cattle. Also made $700.00 additional profit on steers.
1927. Got $8000.00 Federal Land Bank Loan, upon 200 acres @ 5% int. and gave T. J. Williams second mortgage for $8300.00 @ 6%, being balance due him for purchase money—$1500.00 of which I've paid, besides all interest on both mortgages. Also paid some carry-over from 1926 for share croppers, and have $500.00 left for 1928. I now have a net worth of $8000.00 and my indebtedness on farm will be cared for from rents from same, besides giving me $1000.00 a year to apply upon principal.
I grow nothing except cotton, one-fourth of which goes for rental, which usually amounts to $10.00 to $15.00 per acre. So it pays to buy land with 5% The rise of an able cropper, the fall of his fortunes, caught in the past war deflation in cotton and land values, and his rise, with the aid of a banker friend, in the Arizona Cotton Belt is set forth in the following case study: M. 0. Parker, Phoenix, Arizona, the Best Farmer I Ever Knew At the age of 30 had accumulated $5000.00 farming in Missouri, paying one-half of all his production as rent. Moved to Louisiana in 1914 and lost out in two years. Under a partnership deal with the writer in the sale of some plan tations he received clear profit in 1917 and 1918, one-half or $10,000.00 cash at one time. Bought 160 acres with all stock and equipment in early spring of 1920 near Rogers, Ark. Worked hard and lived close for three years. Went in with $11,000.00. Came out with $700.00 and three years older. Pretty badly broken in spirit as well as in cash.
I gave him free of rent for two years 40 acres of rich land adjacent to Phoenix, except for taxes about $9.00 per acre. Loaned him $1400.00 1st year and I think $400.00 second year. In the meantime he rented other lands up to 200 acres. At the end of three years he bought this 40 acres of me for $19,000.00 net, paying me $4000.00 cash. In 1926 he paid all due $900.00 net and $500.00 principal. In 1927 he paid $4000.00, although only $1360 due, and is now easily worth $20,000.00 and going strong, specializing in long staple cotton.' The death of work stock often causes a reduction in the tenure of the cotton farmer. The following case 19 shows the relation of a small owner in the Coastal Plains of Georgia to the credit system: Runs two plows; works children in field as and boys.