t in and take off the crop, all labour
and bags and twine for his share of the crop. In the majority of cases
the landowner and the share farmer each take half the proceeds, or "bag
for bag," each reserving the right to dispose of his share when and
where he deems fit. In some cases the agreement is more liberal to the
share farmer, and a fixed amount--perhaps 16 to 18 bushels--is agreed
upon, which is shared equally, any balance being taken by the farmer.
This is sometimes adopted as an incentive to good farming, and in cases
as an inducement to attract the share farmer into new districts some
distance from the railway. There have been cases where farmers have
secured very good crops, 30 to 36 bushels to the acre, which meant that
they received 22 and 28 bushels per acre for their share, while the
landowner only received 8 bushels. These are exceptional conditions. As
stated, the usual practice is to share equally. The following are sample
specimens of the different agreements worked under:--

The landowner finds the land, all seed, and half manure; the farmer
finds plant, labour, and half manure. Each takes half the crop.

The landowner provides land, all seed and all manure; the farmer
plant and labour, and takes one-third of the crop, the landowner
taking two-thirds.

The landowner provides land only, and takes one-third of the crop;
the farmer provides plant, labour, seed, and manure, taking
two-thirds of the crop.

The landowner provides all stock, land, and half manure; the farmer
provides labour, seed, and half manure, and the crop is divided
equally.

The landowner provides land, seed, and manure; the farmer does all
the work, and the crop is equally divided.

[Illustration: A NICE MIXED FARM.]

It will thus be seen that some minor differences occur in the
agreements. The first of the above list is most common. There are cases,
however, where a progressive owner is anxious to get his land under
wheat, and has financed the farmer, finding everything but labour. The
landowner has provided a working plant, for which the farmer pays him
from the proceeds of the crops, the payments extending over a term of
seasons. Under this system men have started without any capital, and in
a few years possessed a plant worth several hundred pounds, together
with a snug banking account to their credit. Of course, in such cases
the landowner knows his man