Land Tenure in Oregon. 41 CHAPTER IV. Land Tenure in Oregon and Other States. Renting has proved unsatisfactory in Oregon as elsewhere. Tenancy had not reached a high percentage in this State before 1900, the latest date for which figures have been obtained on land tenure. In table one, it was shown that the yearly acreage acquired by farmers in Oregon under the final and commuted homestead acts, had not decreased to any considerable extent before 1900. As long as good land could be had for the ask- ing, the landless farmer did not need tO' rent but secured a farm of his own. Yet, by 1900, renting was already working its evils in this State. The tenant had already shown himself to be anything but a successful farmer. In our discussion, we will first examine the figures relating to tenant farming in Oregon as compared with those for other states and geographi- cal divisions of the United States and then study the different sections and counties of Oregon itself. Before beginning this discussion, it may be well to have in mind just what is meant by the term "farm" and by the classification of farmers into six groups as defined in the census reports. In instructing those collecting data for land tenure in the United States for 1900, the following definition was given to specify what each farm should include: "A farm, for census purposes, includes all the land under one management, used for raising crops and pasturing live stock, with the wood lots, swamps, meadows, etc., connected therewith, whether consist- ing of one tract or of several separate tracts. It also includes the house in which the farmer resides, and' all other buildings used by him in connection with his farming operations, to- gether with the land upon which they are located. If the indi- vidual conducting a farm resides in a house not located upon
the land used by him for farm purposes, and his chief occupa-----
