He keeps only staple articles, but he may give an order on a neighboring store for those not in stock or may even furnish small sums of money on occasion.

The tenants are not allowed to buy as much as they choose either in the plantation store or in the local store at the crossroads.

At the beginning of the year the landlord or the merchant generally allows a credit ranging from fifty to two hundred dollars but rarely higher and attempts to make the tenant distribute the purchases over the whole period during which the crop is growing.

If permitted, many, perhaps a large majority of the tenants, might use up their credit months before the crop was gathered.

In such cases the merchant or landlord, or both, must make further advances to save what they have already invested or else must see the tenant abandon is crops and move.
These relations between landlord and tenant show much diversity, but certain conditions prevail everywhere.