Most of the discussions of farm tenancy have dealt primarily with the economic condition of the tenant class, the maintenance of soil fertility under tenant farming, and the more general and sociological aspects of the so-called tenancy problem. Very little attention has been directed to the relation of tenancy to the concrete problems of farm organiaztion and management. It is the purpose of this bulletin to present some details of this relationship as revealed in a limited investigation.

To this end the effect of changes in the agriculture of the state on the increase in tenancy and on the methods of renting land is traced briefly thru the 40 years since tenancy statistics were first available. The prevailing types of tenancy are analyzed in their relation to the peculiarities of farming in each section of the state and the terms of rental under each tenancy type are given. Finally, the specific variations in the organization of the farm under the different types of tenancy are presented as revealed by the analysis of farm survey data from several representative counties. In conclusion the importance of properly adjusting the lease bargain to the type of farming best fitted to each individual farm and to the characteristics of the landlord and tenant is pointed out.