Sharecropping is a risky venture for both the sharecropper and the farmer. Just to be clear, the large farmer leases some of his land on speculation to a smaller farmer in return for part of the potential profits after harvest. If it's a good crop, both do but only if he did OK. If there's a crop failure, or the market is down come autumn, both are SOL. The sharecropper's farm was small enough that he couldn't possibly get rich.
