Independent Farmer Becoming Tenant. Ill 



Here it is seen that for the nation, tenant farming has 

 increased in twenty years nearly 100%, outstripping the 

 gain in ownership four-fold. In 1880 about one farmer 

 in four was a tenant; in 1900 more than one farnier in 

 three. To this statement should be added what was 

 noted in the sixth chapter, that 31% of those who owned 

 the farms they carried on had a mortgage upon them; 

 in other words, nearly one-third of the farms owned were 

 mortgaged. At the rate tenant farming has increased (a 

 percentage of gain of 97.6% in twenty years) in much 

 less than forty years the independent farmer will be ex- 

 tinct — landlordism will be universal. 



From this general statement concerning the nation we 

 pass to observe the condition in the sections or states. 

 Eeversing the order in which the grand divisions are 

 usually given, we first glance at the status of the Western 

 Division. This group consists of Montana, Wyoming, 

 Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Nevada, Idaho, 

 Washington, Oregon and California. But little of this 

 vast extent of territory was settled in 1880 — the greater 

 part of California was not. Even in 1900 less than 4% 

 of the total land surface of this division was improved. 

 Its herds and flocks, from which was obtained a very 

 large part of the value of its products, mainly drew sus- 

 tenance from its boundless grazing lands. Its great 

 farms or ranches are not yet cut to civilization size ; and 

 their comparatively high value indicates farmers with 

 means much above the average of the class. With all 

 conditions relating to the industry so different from 

 those usually existing in agricultural communities, it 

 could not be expected that data of value to the subject 

 in hand could be obtained from this section of the nation. 



