doing they secure a degree of independence and an opportunity to reap profits. Again, as will be shown in detail later, the situation has been such that the tenant need have little capital in order to become a farmer on his own account.

On the other hand, the tenant system has appealed to the landowners for various reasons. In the first place, it is a method of securing a supply of labor for a term of years and of interesting those who do the work in the outcome. The importance of this consideration becomes evident when it is pointed out that most of the land leased to Japanese has been for the growing of berries and that chiefly this involves hand labor done under such conditions that for years practically all of the laborers who have engaged in it have been Japanese. Again, much of the leasing of land to Japanese for berry growing has been incidental to the development of orchards. As a rule apple trees are set between the rows of strawberries. Incidentally to the growing of berries, the land is irrigated, brought to a high state of cultivation, and the young trees cared for until they reach the age at which they begin to bear fruit. Finally, the Japanese have paid relatively high rents for land for berry growing. It is commonly said by farmers and other members of the community in position to know the facts that they pay from 10 to 15 per cent higher cash rentals than do farmers of other races.

In a general way, as the Japanese have accumulated capital and become better established in the community, there has been a gradual substitution of the more usual forms of leases for the contract system. In several instances farmers now leasing for a share of the crop or paying a cash rental had previously done the hand work under a contract, in which their remuneration was so much per unit of crop harvested. Again, because of these same considerations and the strong desire on the part of the tenant farmers to secure the greatest degree of independence in cultivating the land and marketing the crop and the full product of their labor, there has been a gradual substitution of cash rents for the crop-share system. In at least one instance a group of partners lease a large tract of land for a period of fifteen years, paying cash rent, and in turn sublease for shorter terms a part of this land in small tracts to their fellow countrymen for a share of the crop.

Most of the land controlled by Japanese being devoted to the growing of strawberries, practically all of the leases cover a period of five, six, or seven years. The plants do not bear well until the third year, and usually run out" after the fifth or sixth year. In order to prese preserve the fertility of the soil it is customary not to reset the same land. The contracts may cover only one year, or, like the share and cash leases, a period of several years.

The prices paid to those who grow strawberries under contract vary with market and labor conditions and with the age of the plants. However, during the past two years the prices paid have been from $1.50 to $1.75 per chest of harvested crop. The following is the substance of a typical example of strawberry growing under this sysUnder this contract the Japanese have certain privileges on

tem.

As already indicated, practically all of the land leased by the Japanese has been devoted to the growing of berries.

the land for five years with the option of holding it for the sixth year. The land in question is to be used only for growing strawberries, blackberries, loganberries, and raspberries. The land consists of 30 acres, 10 of which are already set in strawberries, leaving 20 acres of pasture land which is to be set from year to year. The owners of the land are to do all the plowing, grading, and trenching by way of preparing the land for setting out the plants and to furnish the plants themselves; to furnish water for irrigation, all tools and implements, boxes, chests, and crates for shipping, houses for the Japanese to live in, horses to work with, and so on. They are to see to the shipping and sale of the berries. The Japanese are to receive $1.45 for each chest of berries marketed. In addition to this they are to receive $13.50 per acre for setting out plants on the 20 acres of pasture land. The berries are to be picked once a week, and if the work is not done by the Japanese the owners of the land have a right to employ others to do it and to charge the expense to the Japanese. Furthermore, if the work of picking is not kept up to date, the Japanese are to be paid 25 cents less per chest for each chest picked. Only skillful men are to be employed by the tenants." In some respects the lease for a share of the crop is not different from this contract system. The landowner usually supplies whatever implements are required, prepares the land, hauls and markets the crop. The tenant does the watering, hoeing, weeding, picking, packing, and loading, in short the handwork. Moreover, through advances, the landowner frequently assists the tenant until the plants arrive at maturity and the crop is marketed. The crop is sold by the landowner, who, in practice, controls all the details of the business, In other respects, however, the two systems differ. The share lease usually covers a longer period of time and the tenant assumes a part of the risk incidental to the wide fluctuation in the prices of strawberries from season to season and from time to time during each season. Where the share system is employed and the tenant does the handwork only, as he usually does, he receives one-half of the crop.

Recently the leasing of land for cash has become more prevalent. In such cases the tenant becomes an independent farmer, being limited only in the crops which he shall grow and the care he shall exercise not to deteriorate the property occupied by him. In addition to the land, however, he is frequently provided with a part or all of the implements and tools required for producing his crop.

An agent of the Commission collected data from the Japanese leasing 20 farms and smaller tracts. Ten of these were leased for a "half share" of the crop, 10 for a cash rental varying from a little less than $5 to $53 (General Table 175) and averaging $18.39 per

The foregoing is the substance of a contract for handwork on a tract a part of which was already set with mature plants. Where the "patch" is to be developed in its entirety the Japanese must have subsistence, with the result that the contract usually takes some such form as the following, the entries showing the remuneration the laborer received each year: First year, the setting of plants in December, usually $20 per acre; second year, watering, hoeing, weeding, picking, packing, and loading, at $50 per acre; third year, watering, hoeing, weeding, picking, packing, and loading, at $1.50 per chest (the best season); fourth year, the same work at $1.75; fifth year, same work at same price.

acre. The higher cash rents are paid for a few farms with bearing orchards. Land devoted to the growing of strawberries generally commands from $15 to $25 per acre. The 10 tracts leased for cash contained 388.5, the 10 leased for a share of the crops 116.75, making a total of 505.25 acres, or about one-fifth of the total acreage leased by Japanese. The smallest tract leased was 2 acres devoted to vegetable gardening, the largest 110 acres, a part of which was devoted to berry and fruit growing (General Table 175). The median farm was of 8 acres.

Of the 20 individual farmers or groups of farmers, only 10, all cash tenants, were possessed of implements and live stock, and only 8 owned the teams they required for preparing the land they held and for hauling the product to the shipping stations. Nine of the 20 reported that during the preceding year they had received advances of supplies from the white and Japanese stores mentioned above, but chiefly from the former, varying from $100 to $2.000 and aggregating $6,900. Moreover, the share tenants had in some instances received advances from the landowners, while some of these and others paying cash rent had here as elsewhere received advances from the commission firms to which the crops were consigned. That little capital is required to enable a Japanese to become a tenant farmer is shown by the fact that some of those investigated had little property. (General Table 175.)"

The character of the farming done by the Japanese is very well shown by the kind and value of crops produced and sold by 19 representative farmers during the year 1908. Only 2 of the 19 sold any vegetables, while 18 sold fruit-chiefly berries. The value of products sold varied from $120 (on 2 acres) to almost $25,000 (on 70 acres). The median was $1,260. The total number of acres cultivated was 460.25, and the value of all crops sold was $74,960.25. The average realized per acre was, therefore, $162.87.

Fifteen of the 20 farms and smaller tracts of land embraced within the investigation were held by individual farmers, while 5 of the large tracts were held by partners. The number of partners varied from 2 to 7, the total number of tenants on the 20 tracts being 35.

Perhaps one-third of these tenants (8 of 23 from whom data were obtained) came to the continental United States from the Hawaiian Islands, where they, and in 6 cases their wives, whom they brought with them, had been employed on the sugar plantations. The majority of the others came directly to the United States when young men and as yet unmarried.

As in other communities, practically all of these farmers belonged to the agricultural class in Japan and most of them found their first employment in the United States as ranch hands or as domestics (General Table 177), a rather large percentage in this community. They brought little money; in only seven cases did they have sums in excess of $100, and of these five came from the Hawaiian Islands.

It is a noteworthy fact, as shown in General Table 175, that those who had little property were share tenants and that those who had succeeded in accumulating more were paying cash rent.

In comparing the percentage paid as cash rent with the share of the crop given in other cases, the implements, teams, and work done by the landowner or his employees where the share system obtained, must be taken into consideration.

After working for a time and gaining some knowledge of American methods and usually some capital, they became tenant farmers. Of 20 individual farmers and head tenants, 1, from Hawaii, leased land the first year, 2 after one year in the United States, 3 after two years, 3 after three years, 2 after four years, 2 after five years, 1 after six years, 3 after seven years, and 1 each after eight, fourteen, and fifteen years, respectively.

In all cases the motive assigned for coming to the United States was to find better opportunities "to make money." How well these farmers have succeeded in this object is shown by the property which they have been able to accumulate-most of it in this locality.

Taking the 20 individual and head partners occupying the 20 tracts embraced in the investigation it is found that they brought, upon coming to the community, a total of $6,490, and that they now own property (all personalty), less indebtedness, amounting to $52,541.33. Several have been very successful, while the gains of a few have been small. Six of 20 report the net value of their property (with the exception of furniture) as being less than $1,000; 9, $1,000 but less than $1,500; 1, $1,500 but less than $2,500; 3, $2,500 but less than $5,000; and 1, in excess of $25.000 (General Table 175). The average amount of property owned was $2,627.07. On the whole, when the comparatively short time they have lived in the community is taken into consideration and the fact that all but 4 worked for wages, some of them for five or six years after settling here, it must be concluded that these men as a class have been remarkably successful.'

The progress thus indicated, as well as the rapid expansion of leasing by Japanese, is explained largely by the profitable prices which were received for strawberries for several years ending with the season of 1908. At the time indicated, partly as a result of a depressed state of trade affecting the demand for berries, but largely as a result of a very large increase of the acreage of strawberry fields which had been developed by Japanese in several localities in California, the prices "broke" and became unremunerative. Since then they have never been profitable, except early in the season. In fact the Japanese growers have incurred much loss. The agents of the Commission collected data relative to the profits realized and losses sustained during the year 1908. It is evident from what has been said that the gains were less than during the earlier years and very much larger than during the season of 1909. In the growing of strawberries, no one year can be regarded as typical as regards the profits realized. The data obtained for the year 1908 are, however, given for what they are worth.

Data were obtained showing the profits and losses of 22 of these tenant farmers with two exceptions engaged almost exclusively in

Only two report debts, one of $450 the other of $600.

The details relative to time of coming to the locality, date of first lease, money brought upon coming, and property now owned, are shown for each farmer in General Table 175.

The data were gathered at the beginning of the harvest season of 1909, hence the year 1908 was the last full year for which data could be obtained. The prices received during 1909 were so low as to involve the Japanese in much loss and to greatly weaken their position as farmers in the community.

growing strawberries-for the year indicated. Of these 22, 4, on two farms, sustained losses, 16 realized profits, while 2 neither gained nor lost on the year's transactions. The losses were comparatively small, aggregating $1,190 and averaging $297.50 per man, while some of the profits were large. Sixteen reported profits aggregating $5,920 and averaging $370. Six realized profits of $100 or more but less than $250, 6 of $250 or more but less than $500, 3 of $500 or more but less than $1,000, while 1 made $1,300.

Of 22 of these tenant farmers, 10 sent money abroad during the year, the total amount sent being $1,520. A total of $550 was sent by three farmers to bring their wives to the United States, the remainder for the use of parents, wives, and children. Owning no land, all but $600 of the remainder was reported as "banked." The $600 was used by one tenant to pay debts earlier incurred and to purchase implements.

THE ECONOMIC EFFECTS OF THE JAPANESE.

Before presenting sociological data collected by the agents of the Commission, the economic effects upon the community wrought by the incoming of the Japanese may be briefly stated.

From the point of view of the labor situation, the Japanese have replaced the Chinese as handworkers in the fields. They have worked under the same "boss" system and have lived on the ranches under the same conditions. Beginning at the same wage, their organization and the limitations placed upon further immigration, have caused their "day wage" to rise some 50 per cent.

The Japanese and Dalmatians have assisted in producing the changes introduced in the kinds of crops grown. The former, being unusually skillful berry growers, have had something to do with the expansion of the production of berries until much of the land is thus employed, whereas before their influx, little of it was so used. The latter have done much to encouraging the growing of apples.

Beginning as seasonal laborers, many of the Japanese have become tenant farmers, their specialty being the growing of strawberries. They now control a large percentage of the land devoted to specialized and intensive agriculture. They have been willing to pay higher rents than the members of other races, but how much of the rise in cash rentals which has taken place may properly be attributed to their competition it is impossible to say, because of the presence of other factors in the situation. In this connection, it is of great interest that the Japanese farmers who were investigated paid cash rentals averaging $13.67 per acre for their first leases as against $18.39 paid for the land occupied by them at the time of the investigation (General Tables 175 and 178). At all times practically the entire acreage leased has consisted of well-improved land.

SOCIOLOGICAL DATA RELATIVE TO THE JAPANESE FARMERS.

Twenty of the Japanese farmers investigated were married, 6 (including 3 sons of tenants) were single (General Table 181). Twelve of these 20 were married at the time of immigrating to the United States. One of 8 who have married more recently, was