148 WANT OF LEASES. 



capital which the tenants might lay out in the 

 improvement of the soil. 



I had the satisfaction, in one instance, of 

 convincing an extensive landowner, Mr Henry 

 Barclay near Red-Hook, of the advantage to 

 be derived from granting leases ; and I hope 

 to hear that he has carried his purpose of 

 adopting that system into execution. The 

 encouragement which his locality temptingly 

 holds out to enterprizing farmers, I have al- 

 ready explained. 



But although I succeeded in making but 

 one convert among the landed proprietors, I 

 had an opportunity of ascertaining that the 

 sort of tenantry I have described, are them- 

 selves quite sensible of the disadvantage of 

 their present tenure, and would be found ready 

 to embrace the system of leases I recommend. 



It is to such a system that in Scotland is 

 mainly owing those improvements which in 

 the last sixty years have raised it to eminence 

 in scientific agriculture, and it cannot be 

 doubted that its adoption would encrease the 



