A farmer operating under the crop-lien system usually ________________.

A) reduced soil erosion
B) increased his production
C) sank ever deeper into debt
D) added land to his holdings

The crop-lien system was a credit system in which farmers would borrow money from a creditor to purchase supplies and equipment for farming. In turn, the creditor would take a lien, or a legal claim, on the farmer's crops as collateral for the loan. However, the interest rates were often high and the prices charged for supplies and equipment were inflated, making it difficult for farmers to make enough profit to pay off their debts. As a result, many farmers who operated under the crop-lien system sank deeper into debt.