THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



21 



seriously affected. Another mode has been adopted, and 

 is equally to be recommended, viz., assuming the amount 

 of rent, with wheat upon an average for the last three 

 years at Cs. per bushel, to be at the rate of 4 bushels or 

 24s. per acre, and that the average should be in the first 

 year 7s. per bushel, by striking off the iirst year and 

 adding the last, the average of the three years would be 

 6s, 4d. per bushel for the current year, and the rent '25s. 

 4d. per acre, the averages to be deduced upon the first 

 market day in each month, as published in the Gazette. 

 or neighbouring market. By this mode the fluctuations 

 in amount of rent could never be excessive in any single 

 year, the average of three years always coming into ac- 

 count. Some persons, however, from prejudice, would 

 not adopt a corn rent ; but it must be obvious to every 

 one who dispassionately investigates the subject, that 

 rent and the value of produce ought always to be pro- 

 portionate with each other. In cases where leases for 

 long terms are objected to, a lease might be granted for 

 a siugie year, and to extend from year to year until 

 either party should give to the other notice in writing to 

 determine the occupation. In such cases provision 

 should be made to pay for drainage and other permanent 

 improvements, if executed by the tenant, in proportion 

 as such improvements might remain unexpended at the 

 end of the occupancy. 



Although upon some estates the tenants continue to 

 farm from year to year without either agreement or 

 lease, and a good understanding has prevailed, still it 

 must be a most objectionable mode of proceeding, and 

 should be avoided as far as possible, as everyone must 

 have been convinced from the recent occurrences that 

 have taken place that all transactions of this nature ought 

 to be carried out as any other description of commercial 

 transaction ; and whether extending over along or sliort 

 period of time, the principle and stipulations of the bar- 

 gain ought to be clearly set out and defined in writing, 

 so as not to admit of a doubt as to the intention at the 

 end of the term ; nor would it be advisable to clog such 

 an agreement with such stipulations as to the mode of 

 cultivation or of quitting the farm upon so short a term. 

 This would to some extent be useless, inasmuch as the 

 landlord could at any time repossess himself of the farm, 

 if he found the tenant v: as not cultivating it properly. 

 At an early period, when no more manure could be ob- 

 tained beyond that produced upon the farm, it was ne- 

 cessary to guard against straw, hay, and roots being sold ; 

 but it must be obvious, that when it might be done by 

 the tenant, that he should not be prevented selling such 

 descriptions of produce upon bringing back upon the farm 

 two-thirds of their value in manure. In the case of re- 

 pairs, some well-defined system ought to be adopted — 

 admitting that the landlord finds all materials and pays 

 half the cost of labour, the premises might be main- 

 tained in good repair and condition, so as never to cause 

 at any one time any large expenditure, as is too gene- 

 rally the case, though I cannot recommend that the te- 

 nant should be exonerated altogether, and charged a pro- 

 portionably higher rent. I, on the other hand, think 

 that repairs are better done by workmen employed by 

 the landlord, and some proportion of the outlay only be 

 charged to the tenant, so that in any given year the sum 

 ought not to exceed Is. Gd. per acre. There ought to 

 be sufficient inducement for the tenant to assist in keep- 

 ing the premises in proper order, and which he would 

 endeavour to do if called upon to pay a proportion of 

 the cost of repairing them from year to year. The fences 

 upon the farm should also be well repaired as soon as 

 they require it, or the tenant be charged with the cost 

 for his neglect. 



The customs of different districts vary so greatly that 

 I fear it would be difficult to introduce any one of ge- 

 neral application ; still by defining one least liable to ob- 



jection, all others may be made to approximate in degree, 

 and in course of time be brought more in accordance 

 with each other. 



Having digressed considerably from the subject as put 

 down upon the card, 1 may be allowed to state that I 

 have felt it necessary to state what the management, as 

 well as the tenure, ought to be, to insure the determina- 

 tion of the lease upon the best and most approved prin- 

 ciple. The landlord's interest onght to be protected to 

 such an extent as only to prevent the tenant from taking 

 undue advantage at the close of the term, at the same 

 time taking precaution not to load the tenant unneces- 

 sarily upon entering the farm with payments — the less 

 sum he has to put down at the commencement of a term , 

 the larger amount he will have to carry on the farm 

 throughout the entire lease. Some parties, however, 

 object to this mode, as they state it allows persons with 

 a small amount of capital to compete for large farms. 

 This argument, however, has little weight. It must be 

 obvious that the charge upon a large amount of capital 

 produces an increased expenditure without a return an- 

 nually, and therefore ought to be avoided. Landlords 

 would do better to ascertain beforehand the capabilities 

 of a tenant, in a monetary point of view, to take a 

 farm, rather than to load him with heavy payments to 

 insure it. 



During my experience I have had opportunities of 

 obtaining considerable knowledge of the working of the 

 various modes by which tenants enter upon and quit 

 farms, and, without egotism, I consider the system al- 

 luded to by me in the first instance as the best adapted. 

 The out-going tenant ought be allowed to make the 

 fallows, if competent to do so. Horses must be kept 

 by him for assisting in harvesting the crops, and he 

 should have the privilege of ploughing and tilling the 

 land until the termination of the last year of his term ; 

 the in-coming tenant, however, being allowed to come 

 in to carry on the preparations in addition, as at first 

 stated, and also to hoe and cultivate the root crops when 

 considered by him to be necessary. The manure of the 

 last year ought to be paid for in full, in proportion to 

 the cost incurred in producing it. The hay and straw 

 of the last year should also be paid for, as stipulated 

 previously. The improvements of a permanent and en- 

 during character should be also paid for in proportion 

 to their value, when executed within a given period ; 

 and any erections, put up solely by the tenant, should 

 be allowed to be taken away, provided the landlord re- 

 fuses to pay for them, at such a price as they would be 

 worth to remove. So all fixtures and machinery, put 

 up by the tenant to enable him the better to carry on 

 his pursuit, should also be allowed to be removed, if the 

 landlord should refuse to take them by valuation. 



I am quite aware of the difficulty incurred of intro- 

 ducing any new details ; but as my object always, through 

 life, has been to recommend such changes as would be 

 most likely to become beneficial upon an extended scale, 

 and, if possible, to introduce such a policy betwixt land- 

 lands and tenants as ought to exist, and, when existing, 

 most likely to produce results of a beneficial character 

 to themselves, but more especially to a community of 

 persons, daily increasing, but limited to a certain space, 

 upon which to carry out their exertions— then, I say, 

 the utmost facility that can be afforded to them ought 

 to be the chief aim and study of our united endeavours. 

 In conclusion, I may be allowed to say, that under 

 all circumstances I think it best that the manure made 

 in the last year of the term should be paid for. I have 

 invariably observed whenever it is left gratis that very 

 little remains for the in-coming tenant, and that is gene- 

 rally of very inferior quality ; and although it creates a 

 considerable amount of charge in the first instance, it 

 will be found the most beneficial mode in the end. 



