Land Tenure in Oregon. 53 Owners operated a larger percentage of farms in the newer and more isolated districts than in other places. As was seen in the discussion of tenure for the different geographical divisions of the United States, the older sections have the largest proportions of rented farms. The coast counties and those situated east of the mountains in central and southern Oregon had the largest percentage of owners. The smallest proportion of owners was in the Willamette Valley, with the exception of Sherman and Gilliam, which are in the wheat belt along the Columbia River. Harney reported 84.8 per cent of its farms operated by owners. Curry, Tillamook, Columbia and Malheur, each had over 80 per cent handled in the same way. Sherman reported only 50.6 per cent of its farms oper- ated by owners, and a large number of the Willamette Valley counties reported less than 60 per cent. Land owning farm- ers, those who till their own farms, do not specialize in any particular kinds of farming. A high proportion of this class are found invariably in the more undeveloped counties almost regardless of the kind of farming to which the country is adapted. Where the percentage of ownership is smallest, share ten- ancy is largest; and share tenancy is least in operation where ownership has its highest percentage. The older sections of the State had, in 1900, the largest proportion of share tenancy. The counties of the Willamette Valley ranked first; the north- west and southwest, next; central and eastern Oregon, third; and the coast had the smallest percentage of share tenancy. Polk and Linn counties had over 20 per cent of their farms operated by share tenants ; most of the other counties of the Willamette Valley, between 10 and 20 per cent. The coast counties had less than 4 per cent of their farms operated by this class of tenants. It may be well to note that the sections in which share tenancy was most prevalent were those pro- ducing the bulk of the main cereal crops; and in the great stock counties, which ranked first in cattle, horses and sheep,
there was a small percentage of share tenancy. The produc-----
