THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



391 



society has falleu— the greater the more diflicult to reform. 

 Having' described the evil as it now exiets, it may be deemed 

 my duty to propose a remedy, and I shall attempt briilly to 

 do so. Things can only be put to rights by a new eocial 

 organization (which in country places is much needed in other 

 respects) of country magistrates, similar to the prud'hommes 

 of our neighbours. Say in every three, or if small, four country 

 parishes, that six unpaid magistrates be elected yearly, resi- 

 dent in the parishes — two by the landlords, two by the far. 

 mers, and two by the other classes — who should have the 

 deciding of all tenant-right claims. The six magistrates to 

 elect a seventh. These magistrates could also act as concilia- 

 tors to settle disputes amicably, and as far as possible prevent 

 litigation within their district. Something of the same nature 

 might be carried out in cities, to prevent, as far as possible, 

 strikes and litigation. 



No land-occupancy system can be devised to be perfectly 

 just in all cases, and at the same time easily workable; but a 

 near approximation could be reached. The land would require 

 to be arranged in classes lat, 2nd, &c., say up to Gth or 8th, 

 and each class valued or estimated at a certain amount of 

 grain, worth per acre per annum of rent. Then if a tenant 

 should raise the quality of his land from one class to the next 

 above it, that he should in case of vacating the land receive 

 lay two-thirds of the increase, and if to the second class above 

 it, say three-fourths of the increase rent it is worth, as a 

 tenant-right. At the same time, in the case of the improving 

 tenant remaining, should the landlord desire to raise the rent 

 tl.at it shall only be raised in the first case one-third, in tne 

 second case one-fourth, and if to a third upward one-fifth of 

 the improvement, and so on. Of course the tenant would 

 deserve the whole rise of value he had effected in the soil • 

 and no generous landlord would so interfere. But we cannot 

 altogether ignore the landlord's interest in his own land. In 

 case the landlord discovered any of his tenants lowering by 

 bad management the status of his farm, the landlord could 

 expel him, and give the ground to another ; and if the expelled 

 tenant have funds, he ought to be made accountable for the 

 damage. I merely give this as a slight sketch of what might 

 be a judicious arrangement. It would apply equally in the 

 case of a lease at the expiry of the lease, or of a tenant-at- 

 will. 



There is a strong industrial principle and desire to improve 

 and do right in the human mind, especially in the steady 

 well-doing Anglo-Saxon race. This no doubt urges ou the 

 English farmer in improvement, even without a lease or secu- 

 rity. But capital cannot seek, cannot flow into this most 

 fertile reproductive field ; the farmer cannot obtain capital, 

 or obtained, cannot largely invest without a lease or security 

 by a tenant-right — perhaps there ought to be both. And 

 surely the English landlord is of too high a mind to wish to 

 retain his fellow-subject in so dependent a situation — to desire 

 to have it in his 'power to take'advautage of this improvement 

 instinctive disposition, and rob the bee of the honey he has 

 made. On the continent of Europe, to the eastward, the 

 farmer rent-paying class^is'not generally developed, and the 

 landlords cultivate their own ground. It is not uncommon 

 for a proprietor to have 300 cows, and, 1 have known, seventy 

 ploughs. But this system is not to be desired. A division 

 of labour is necessary ; the whole energies devoted to one 

 purpose ; a farm not too large ; a necessity for exertion called 

 forth by competitioH. Landlord farming does not call forth 

 this, and, except in the case of a model farm, cannot be 

 advantageons. Besides, landlords have other duties — the direc- 

 tion of political and social affairs, more especially in the case 

 t)f our privileged order of legislators, and indeed all large land- 



holders are, from the iullueace of properly, virtually so 

 privileged. 



To cuncludc : A very important advantage of protection 

 of property invested in agi-icultui'e would be, that very 

 liirge farms would disappear. Large farms, or monopoly of 

 a number of farms, is of injurious tendency. A farm of four 

 or five plouglis can, at least ought, to be able to support and 

 well-educate a family, and thus servo as the best possible 

 brood-ground for physical and mental strength to carry-out 

 the unparalleled present advancement in the organism 

 man (our Cohdeu is the son of a fai-mer). Besides, a very 

 large farmer, difterent from a farmer of moderate extent, 

 is often not a home-keeping family man, frequently a 

 worthless baclielor ; therefore, in the present position of 

 Britain, whose vocation is to people the waste portions of 

 the earth with the foremost race of man, not a good sub- 

 ject. I cannot but regard a British farmer, under the pre- 

 sent mischievous system, as a mere soil-robber — driven 

 by the despotism of landlords, as the Italian brigands in 

 the territory of the Church by the despotism of priests, to 

 robbery. It is protection to property that is wanting in 

 both cases. Large farms are the children of non-pro- 

 tection. Were protection given, the farmer would become 

 more locally bound ; would find that he could employ his 

 capital more profitahly in enriching a small farm than in 

 robbing large ones. Protection to investment of capital in 

 the enrichment of land is above all things required. Its 

 opposers can only be regarded as the greatest enemies of 

 mankind. 



Gourdie Hill, Errol, Patrick Matthew. 



Carse ofGoivrie, March 12, 1861. 



DURHAM COUNTY SHOW OF STALLIONS. 



This exhibition was held at Durham, and was very largely 

 attended. There were thirteen entries of blood horses, and 

 eight of cart horses ; the prize in either class being £15. 

 Thomas Parrington, Esq., hon, sec. of the Cleveland Agri- 

 cultural Society, of Normanby, near Redcar; John Booth, 

 Esq., of Killerby, near Catterick, one of the noted cattle 

 breeders; and J. M. Patterson, Esq., of Norwood, near 

 Gateshead, acted as judges, The horses shown in the first- 

 class were : — 



Mr. J. Shield's Lammas Day, 

 Mr, J. Lightfoot's Greatheart, 

 Mr. J. Bowes's Grajculus Esurieus, 

 Mr. R. Wright's Sir Walter Scott, 

 Mr, J. Smurthwaite's Tunstall, 

 Mr. Hymer'a Bondholder, 

 Mr. J. Brown's Farnham, 

 Mr. G. Hall's Pilgrim, 

 Mr. Hutchinson's Motley, 

 Mr. J. Metcalf's Young Voltigeur, 

 Mr, W. White's Homoeopathist, 

 Mr. Nixon's Lancewood, 

 Andjanother 



Farnham, who has won on several previous occasions, was 

 declared the winner, although the prize was very severely 

 contested with him by Bondholder, a horse which appeared to 

 have very numerous admirers. Nonpareil took the prize for 

 cart stallions ; he has been a winner on three previous occa- 

 sions. He had to compete with Wearmouth, Hero, Match- 

 less, Nafferton, Wallace, Freeman, Netherton, Young Blyth, 

 land Benwell Hero. Farnham has also won a prize at Bishop 

 Auckland this Spring. 



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