86 THE AGRICULTURE OF THE 



the shape of grain. Latterly, however, all rents have been paid 

 in money, and as a rule are collected at the 26th May and the 

 22nd November. In some cases they are receiv^ed in June and 

 December, and in others at Candlemas and Lammas. A hundred 

 years ago the rent of the best farm on the Pitgaveny estate was 

 a boll of oats, a boll of barley, and a boll of wheat per acre of 

 arable land. 



Leases. — The majority of tenants on the various estates hold 

 their farms under leases of nineteen years' duration. Perhaps this 

 convenient system of lease has been longer in vogue in these 

 counties than in any other two north of the Grampians. " Life ' 

 leases, once very general, are now all but unknown. Crofts are 

 generally held from year to year. Entry in both counties is 

 usually obtained at Whitsunday, when the incoming tenant, as 

 a rale, takes over at valuation from his predecessor grass, fallow, 

 dung, and corn crops. On the Duffus estate the regulations 

 permit of the outgoing tenant disposing of his grain crops 

 ad libitum. On the Ballindalloch estates, outgoing tenants are 

 bound to give over to their successors the whole of their last 

 grain crop, the grain at the fiars prices of the county in which 

 the farm is situated, and the straw by valuation of arbiters in 

 the event of no fiars being struck. On these estates tenants 

 nearly always obtain entry at Whitsunday, and the incoming 

 tenant generally takes over first year's grass, grain crops, and 

 thrashing mill at valuation. The regulations and conditions of 

 farm tenancy on mostly all the other estates admit of similar 

 arrangements being made between the outgoing and the in- 

 coming tenants. In the regulations of Lord Fife's estate, the 

 following clause is incorporated: — "The valuations of the fallow, 

 grass, and manure shall be made at or before Whitsunday, and 

 shall be payable at that term. The valuations of the grain crops 

 and straw shall be made at such times and in such manner as 

 may be fixed by the arbiters. The incoming tenant receiving 

 the crops and straw, and other subjects of valuation, shall out of 

 the same pay the landlord at the term of Martinmas, on behalf 

 of the waygoing tenant, the whole rents and liabilities then due 

 by him to the landlord. The balance of the value of crops and 

 straw shall be payable by the incoming tenant to the way- 

 going tenant, at such time or in such instalments as the arbiters 

 may fix, provided that the whole shall be made payable on or 

 before the 15th day of March. On the event of any farm being 

 resumed by the landlord, or in the event of the crops by the 

 waygoing tenant or other subjects of valuation being received 

 by him, or on his behalf, he shall deal with regard to the 

 waygoing tenant as nearly as may be in the same manner as 

 may be provided for by an incoming tenant." In so far as in 

 accordance with good husbandry, the tenants on the Fife estates, 



