314 General Viexo of the Agriculture Jnly 



produce this effect ; but the principal one is attributed to letting 

 large farms on leafes for twenty one vears ; by which means the 

 tenants of capitals we-e encouraged to make thofe great exer- 

 tions, from which fuch advantages have refulted, not only to 

 themfelves ai d proprietors of the land, but to the community at 

 large, from the very increafed produce, and fuperiority of its 

 quality, 



* The ufual mode of letting farms is, to fix a rent under cer- 

 tain conditions and covenants, fix or twelve months before the 

 expiration of the leafe 5 but, upon one of the largeft eftates in 

 the county *, the tenants have an offer of their farms two and a 

 half or thiGC years before the expiration of the leafe, which is a 

 mutual benefit to both landlord and tenant j and is attended' 

 with fo many advantages, that it is in a fair way of being gene-' 

 rally adopted. 



* On fome eftates, the pratlice of letting farms by fcret firo' 

 />o/h/sf is ftill in ufe. Th's is a dark and mylleiious mode, which 

 frequently defeats the end it is intended to accomplifh ■, and in- 

 iVead of obtaining an excejfive high rent^ the prize has often been 

 gained at a very inferior value \ and, in the language of the turf, 

 (where only one has entered the lifts), ' by walking the courfe :' 

 And we have known fome of the firft farmers in the county^ 

 forego their farms, rather than fubmit to contend in the dark.* 



It has been a queftion with fpeculative agriculturifts, whe- 

 ther large or fmail farms were moft conducive to improve- 

 ' merit, though, in our opinion, if fafts were only adduced, the 

 queft:icn would hardly bear a difpute We are txtremely glad 

 to obftrve, in this work, indifputable inltances of the utility 

 of hrjie farms ; and we believe, that if the condition of other 

 diftrifts was impartially inveitigated, the reiuit would be ex- 

 actly firinilar to what is here ably ftated : 



* The fize of farms varies confiderably in this county ; in Glen- 

 dale and Earn borough ward>, the farms are large, from 500I. to 

 15C0I. a year j very few under lool. In the other parcsi of the 

 county they are from 50!. to 300I. a year. Some tenants in the 

 northern parts of the couity, farm from 2000I. to 4:00!. a year, 

 and upwards, i he capitals neceffary for luch farms entitle them to 

 a good education, and give them a fpirit of independence and en- 

 terprize, that is rarely found amongfl the occupiers of fraall farms 

 and ftiort leafes. Their minds being open to conviction, they 

 are ready to try new experiments, and adjppt every beneficial im- 

 provement that can be learnt in other diftriCts j for this purpofe, 

 many of them have traverfed the moft diftant parts of the king. 



dom. 



The Earl of TanktrviUe. 



