74 The Landed Interest. 



and thus the mutual connection, while losing 

 something of sentiment, will in time gain more 

 of business and enterprise. 

 Land- In Scotland the necessities of the landowners 



owner's 



necessities prompted them, at a much earlier period, to 



prompted 



leases in seek relief from the embarrassments of entail 



Scotland. 



by obtaining legislative power to borrow money 

 for the improvement of their settled property. 

 And, when the means were thus provided for 

 executing permanent works, the energies of 

 the tenant-farmers were wisely enlisted in carry- 

 ing these into remunerative effect by the now 

 well-recognised form of a lease of nineteen years, 

 at a fixed rent, to assure the tenants such a 

 period of possession as should at once evoke 

 their best exertions. This system has now been 

 in practice for three generations, and its results 

 are seen in a higher state of general cultivation 

 than that of the sister countries ; greater compe- 

 tition for farms, and a higher scale of rent ; more 

 independence ; and at least as keen an intelli- 

 gence shown in adopting improvements. For a 

 long period the Scotch landowners have been 

 compelled to look into the management of their 



