HOW TO BUY A FARM. 14T 



SOME OF THE LEGAL EIGHTS AKD DUTIES OF FAEMERS. 



EY EDMtJXD n. BENXETT OF TATJNTOX, FOKMEIi ME3IIJEE OF 



THE BOAED. 



In an article upon the riglits and duties of farmers vre 

 shall naturally be expected to treat of those rights and duties 

 which are peculiar to farmers, or rather such as are pecul- 

 iarly important to them ; and, if you find me unusually dry 

 in the presentation of it, you will remember that it is an un- 

 usually dry subject; though, to those pecuniarily concerned, 

 not wholly devoid of interest. And naturally the first in- 

 quirj' is 



HOW TO BUY. A FARM. 



It is quite generally known that a mere oral bargain for a 

 farm is not binding in law upon either party; but it may not 

 be so well understood that an offer to sell a farm for a eciven 

 price, even though it be by letter or other simple writing, 

 is not binding upon the proposer until actually accepted by 

 the bu)er, and he has also agreed to take it, and pay the 

 price stated in the offer : therefore the owner may retract 

 his offer to sell at any time before it is accepted and he is 

 notified thereof (4 Johns. 235). And although, in making 

 his offer to sell, he should expressly give you a certain num- 

 ber of days in which to decide, he may, nevertheless, change 

 his mind in the mean time, if you have not accepted, and sell 

 to another who offers a higher price, even before the given 

 time has expired ; and you would have no legal redress for 

 your disappointment. 



Nay, more ; although you had fully made up your mind to 

 take the farm, but had not notified the owner of that fact, 

 and should go to great trouble and expense in buying stock, 

 tools, agricultural implements, &c., to carry on the farm, and 

 should even move your family there to take possession, the 

 owner might even then refuse to sell, and you would have 

 no legal remedy either to compel him to convey, or f jr the 



