REPORT ON THE AGRICULTURE OF DUMFRIESSHIRE. 281 



defrayed in the first place by the proprietor, but it is customary 

 for the tenant to pay interest on such money as has been expended 

 on drainage during the currency of his present lease. 



4. In accounting for the rapid advancement which the agri- 

 culture of Dumfriesshire has made during the last twenty-five 

 years, we would specify, as another source of that improvement, 

 the fact that the landlords are generally liberal and enlightened, 

 and the great body of the tenant farmers intelligent and enter- 

 prising. It will be unnecessary to remark that a landlord may 

 do much, both directly and indirectly, to advance or retard 

 agricultural improvement. If, for example, a proprietor is in the 

 habit of offering his farms in the market at the end of every 

 lease, and if, giving no preference to the present tenant, he accepts 

 the offer of the highest bidder, in such a case the tenant is not 

 to blame if he takes as much as he can out of his farm before the 

 lease expires. The consciousness that his landlord will show 

 him no favour, naturally leads him not only to make no improve- 

 ments during the currency of the concluding part of his lease, 

 but even to subject his farm to the most remunerative course of 

 cropping which the terms of that lease will permit. It matters 

 not how severe and exhausting to the soil his treatment of it 

 may prove, the sole consideration with him is what will yield 

 him the largest return. Happily, the conduct of the principal 

 landowners of the county affords the tenant farmers no apology 

 for pursuing such a system as w r e have supposed. The tenants on 

 most of the large estates, and on many of the small ones, have 

 learned by experience to feel assured that they will, on the 

 expiry of their leases, get an offer of their farms at rents not 

 above current rates, and that therefore they may safely continue 

 to manure as liberally, and clean as thoroughly, as they have 

 been accustomed to do ; and they almost invariably act upon 

 this assurance. Liming and any extra improvements are 

 commonly carried out during the first half of the lease ; but 

 little or no difference is usually made in the general manage- 

 ment towards its close. The influence which such a state of 

 matters as we have described cannot but exert in fostering and 

 maintaining the agricultural advancement of a district, will be 

 apparent to every one; and, moreover, this influence is all the 

 greater from the fact that the landlord's treatment of his tenants 

 is in general discriminating, as well as just and liberal. There 

 are " drones " in the agricultural " hive," as elsewhere; and while 

 the industrious and enterprising meet with every encouragement, 

 the " sluggards " experience little or none. 



The general body of the landowners (we say the " general 

 body," for there are exceptions) not only act in this fair and 

 liberal manner by their tenants, but many of them also take a 

 lively personal interest in all practical questions connected with 



