lord Devon's estates. 87 



man never was sure that he would be allowed to reap 

 the reward of his own industry, and he might fear that 

 his accumulated arrears would be exacted if he exhibited 

 any signs of prosperity. The notices to quit were put 

 an end to ; but in forgiving arrears it was necessary to 

 discriminate betwixt good and bad tenants ; and it was 

 therefore resolved to wipe off all arrears up to 1846, 

 thus placing the man who had paid his rent punctually 

 for the last two years, in a better position than the 

 defaulter for the same time. It was also necessary to 

 re-value the whole estate, some farms being let too 

 high, others too low. This was done by Mr Curling, 

 and he gave this new valuation a retrospective effect. 

 The rental of the previous year, 1848, was charged on 

 the new valuation, and all rent which had been paid 

 beyond that amount was returned. The effect of this 

 return of money to the tenants was surprising. Those 

 who had not paid even the new valuation last year, 

 are now called upon peremptorily to do so ; but the 

 arrear of the previous two years, where such exists, is 

 divided by instalments over several years. The effect 

 of all this is, that while other landlords are getting 

 scarcely any rent, Mr Curling is collecting nearly his 

 whole rental, and a good portion of this arrear. His 

 new valuation was calculated on a certain price for 

 butter, (which is the chief produce of this dairy dis- 

 trict,) and that being much higher than this year's 

 price, a farther corresponding deduction, for the time, is 

 made on each man's rent. Not one of the tenants are 

 leaving, and Mr Curling hopes to bring the estate 

 safely through all the difficulties of the time, especially 



