THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



451 



ciation between the two classes, and on that honourable 

 feeling by which alone all their actions are regulated. 



This is the least a landlord can do, considering how 

 much it may be made to say for himself. If, still, he 

 is of a very practical turn of mind, and has the oppor- 

 tunity, he may raise the man's rent. Of course, as 

 Groby is " not naturally first-i-ate land," and as " the 

 spirited outlay and excellent management of the tenant" 

 have alone made it what it is, the rent was to be raised. 

 There was to be a fresh valuation, and Mr. Everard 

 submits without a murmur. His success was, how- 

 ever, destined to receive a yet more direct compliment 

 from his noble landlord, and this was "« notice to quit." 

 Within a few days of his being declared the best farmer 

 in the county, having long been the best farmer on the 

 estate. Lord Stamford shows his appreciation of such 

 a man by ordering him off. At the end of six months 

 from this time let him go. Never mind about his 

 fathers and grandfathers, the way he has been farming, 

 or the money he has yet in the farm — he shall not stop 

 here. His Lordship will not have a man like Mr. 

 Breedon Everard on his estate. 



The natural question that arises here is, " What has 

 the man been doing ? Has he been shooting the foxes ? 

 Or wiring the pheasants ? Or voting yellow instead of 

 blue ? Or what is it ? Or is his moral character tar- 

 nished ? Is he disgracing the neighbourhood, and a 

 blot on the Stamford and Warrington property ? No, 

 this cannot be it; for no man, from the attendance at 

 his sale the other day, appears to have more friends or 

 to command more respect than Mr. Breedon Everard. 

 But this may have made him forgetful of his own po- 

 sition ? On the contrary, to the last no one could ap- 

 pear to have been more temperate in his tone or be- 

 coming in his conduct towards his landlord. Again, we 

 ask what is it ? Mr. Everard is no more in the secret 

 than we are : " I so little expected what was coming 

 upon me, that if Lord Stamford had sent me word that 

 he was so well pleased with me that it was his intention 

 to give me my farm, I should not have been more as- 

 tonished than I was when I received notice to quit. I 

 immediately wrote to Lord Stamford a most respectful 

 letter, soliciting an interview — telling him that I 

 must have been very much misrepresented — and telling 

 him, likewise, that I could not call to mind anything, 

 either by word or deed, that I had said or done to incur 

 his displeasure, and trusted he would re-consider my 

 case. To this letter I received no answer. This was 

 on the 31st August. On the •28th September I w^aited 

 on my lord at his own residence, and he not only refused 

 to see me, but he likewise refused to assign any reason 

 for taking so extraordinary a step, and I remain to this 

 day as ignorant of his motives as any of you. * * My 

 friends — and I think they are not a few — know that I 

 am incapable of doing anything to deserve such a 

 visitation of Lord Stamford's wrath ; and they know 

 that if I was doing anything inconsistent with my 

 position as a tenant, that half a word of remonstrance 

 would have set me right." 



We have yet more positive proof that Mr. Everard 

 had no idea that he was to leave Grobv. Something 



that assures us tiie offence, if there really be one, was 

 at least unintentional : " Feeling myself perfectly sure 

 that I should have justice done me, I did not hesitate 

 in my improvements to learn what my increased rent 

 would be, but proceeded with deep draining, building, 

 carting manure from Leicester and lime from Bi-eedon. 

 I had likewise applied to the agent of my landlord for 

 materials to erect some new stables, and sheds for twenty 

 extra cows, at my own expense, the increased capabili- 

 ties of my farm rendering increased accommodation 

 necessary. And at the time I i-eceived the notice I had 

 lying upon my farm 700 tons of night-soil carted from 

 Leicester, and 120 tons of Breedon lime, and was^ n 

 the act of erecting the new entrance- approach to my 

 house." 



And for all this, in return for all this, to " get out " 

 all this, Mr. Everard has a six months' notice to quit. 

 Of course he at once sells off his stock, and " never," 

 says Mr. Holland, the auctioneer, " had he stood 

 over so fine a sample of stock." But what more can 

 he do or expect ? There are no leases and thei'e is no 

 "custom" in Leicestershire. The practice is thus 

 summed up in Shaw and Corbet's Digest : 



Mr. George Kilby, Tenant-farmer. 

 What is the time of entry upon farms in Leicestershire? 

 At Lady-day, principally. 



Does the tenant take the succeeding wheat crop ? No ; it 

 is valued to the incoming tenant. 



Does he pay anything for the turnip crop that is fed off? 

 Nothing at all. 



To whom does the dung belong? To the landlord. 

 Is there any compensation to the outgoing tenant for any 

 improvements that he may have made ? None that I am 

 aware of. 



Does any custom exist beyond paying for seed and labour ? 

 There is nothing beyond that. 



Is there anything paid for the use of oil-cake ? I have 

 never known anything allowed for that, neither is there a vast 

 quantity of it used. 



And nothing is allowed for draining ? I never knew it. 

 Then there is no allowance beyond the simple seed and la- 

 bour ? No; just for that, but for nothing else whatever. 



Are not the customs of the country very various ? Yes, the 

 custom of the country is almost nothing. 



Are the farms generally held by lease, or at will ? At will 

 mostly ; there are very few farms leased there indeed. 



Mr. Edward Woollett Wilmot, Agent and Tenant- 

 farmer. 



You once farmed on the borders of Leicestershire and Rut- 

 land ? Yes. 



Did you drain a good deal there ? Yes. 



At Pickwell ? Yes. 



Did you give up that farm a very short time afterwards ? 

 Yes ; and I never received a sixpence. The custom of the 

 country did not allow anything either for artificial manure, 

 drainage, or buildings. 



Had you laid out money in building? Yes. 



And in artificial manure ? Yes ; and in fencing, building, 

 and inclosing the land. 



Without receiving one farthing? Yes. 



lu Leicestershire there is Uttle or no tenant-right. 



The dung belongs to the landlord. There is no com- 

 pensation for improvements. Nothing is allowed for 

 draining. For fencing, building, and artificial manure 

 you don't receive one farthing. Mr. Everard has 

 nothing but his " confidence in his landlord ". That is, 

 if he has not more means than the majority of three- 

 hundred-acre farmers, he is a ruined man. Still, of 

 sympathy he is sure enough, from all classes. One of 



