ABSTRACT
Foreign visitors, comparing the size of the rice fields found in the delta region south of Saigon with those in other parts of south and southeast Asia, tend to be struck by their apparent extensiveness. The impression is enhanced if the visit is made during the months of November to January, when the rice is ready for harvest and the ripe grain hides the boundaries between the fields. Nevertheless, this appearance of spaciousness or lack of population pressure on the land is misleading, as examination of the tenure arrangements reveals.
