zgz General View of the Agriculture of Fifeshire, July 



Lord Kames's plan of a leafe has been much applauded ; 

 but it was left to Dr Thorrifon to {hew the reafon why it has 

 rot found its wav into general pradlice. While fuch a mode 

 of leafehold is evidently advantageous to the public good, be- 

 caufe it promotes improvements, it certainly is prejudicial to 

 tlie landlord's intereft, upon the account here alTi^jneci, viz. 

 that it throws into the tenant's hands every benefit that may 

 arile from an increafe in the value of produce, or, which is 

 the fame thing, from a fall in the value of money We have 

 not heard this objection offered before; and acknowledge the 

 force and propriety of it. 



Dr Thomfon confiders road-money, even when the tax is 

 impofed during the currency of a leafe, as no material hard- 

 fhip upon the tenant ; becaufe the advantages derived from 

 the improved (late of the roads, do more than compenfate for 

 the duties they are liable to pay upon this account. While 

 we are fully fenfible of the eminent benefits procured from 

 the pcflcflion of good roads, and acknowledge that no tax 

 whatever, fo far as it includes his real fhare, ought to be paid 

 ■with greater cheerfulnefs by the tenant, we feel ourfelves 

 obliged to remark, that the Doctor's difcernment has here 

 been rather afleep. Do not good roads contribute as much to 

 the improvement of an eftate as any other local advantage ? 

 and if thefe roads are repaired at the expence of the ter,!antry, 

 which is the principle of all our ftatute labour a£ts, does not 

 the eftate become confidcrably improved at the conclufion of 

 the leafe, without the expenditure of a halfpenny by the own- 

 er, but at the fole expence of others ? If the (latute-work 

 was, equally divided, like poor-rates, and other public bur- 

 dens, the one half payable by the proprietor, and the other 

 half by the poflcflbr, no caufe of complaint would remain ; 

 the tenant's proportion would be reimburfed by the fuperior 

 facility with which he pafled the roads durmg the currency 

 of his leafe, while the proprietor would be compenfated by 

 the increafed value of his eftate. 



A very refpe£table lift of fubfcribers is annexed to the 

 work •, and it g.ves us much fatisfa^dticn to learn, that a fe- 

 cond edition is in contemplation.. We cordially offer our 

 beft wifties for its future fuccefs, being fully convinced that 

 it is in general executed upon liberal principles, and with an 

 ardent dtfire to promote an objc6t of primary importance, 

 viz. the Profperity of Britifti Agriculture. N. 



