LANDLORDS AND TENANTS 



The fall in prices seemed to demoralize the 

 farmers, so that the landlord was never certain 

 that his tenant would not disregard the contract 

 in case of a fall in prices, whereas the tenant 

 would certainly remain to reap the benefits in case 

 of a rise in prices. 



The remedy which was often prescribed for the 

 evils of fluctuating prices, was the introduction 

 of "corn rents." 1 By this it is not meant that the 

 farmer was to give a certain share of his crop to 

 the landlord as rent, but that he should pay as rent 

 the value of a certain fixed amount of grain. 

 The rent was figured on the basis of what was 

 called in Scotland the "fiars prices of the county." 

 In Scotland the sheriff of each county was bound 

 to summon a jury once each year to examine 

 on oath, a number of witnesses, such as farm- 

 ers, grain dealers, brewers, etc., and accord- 

 ing to the evidence thus obtained, to fix the 

 "fiars prices" of the different grades of grain. 

 This system was quite generally resorted to in 

 Scotland during the period of falling prices. 

 Corn rents were advocated by the English rural 

 economists of the time, and were introduced with 

 success in a few instances in the western counties ; 

 but this system failed to gain general favor among 

 the farmers and landlords of England. 2 



1 Parliamentary Papers, 1833, Vol. V, questions 2594-96 ; 

 2601-2609. 



2 Ibid., questions 328 to 331; 347; 10438; 10448; 10454; 

 I059I-95- 



307 



