148 The Landed Interest. 



weight in his parish and neighbourhood, and is 

 looked up to by the people in his employment. 

 Men in all ranks of life in these islands are 

 attracted by the occupation of a country life. 

 When they become rich enough they buy land, 

 or if they cannot afford to buy they hire it. 

 There is thus a constant pressure of competition 

 to which the tenant-farmer is exposed, and from 

 which, as years go by, it is impossible he can 

 escape, except by becoming an owner of land, 

 or by securing himself in a lengthened leasehold 

 tenure. No tenancy-at-will, or with a year's 

 notice, however favourable the conditions of 

 compensation for unexhausted improvements, 

 can give the farmer security beyond the year. 

 The Agricultural Holdings Bill, with two instead 

 of one year's notice, would be a vast improve- 

 ment on the common practice of yearly tenancy. 



His duty and so far as it goes will bear good fruit in a 



to protect _ * 



himself by forcing landowners and their tenants to adopt 



a definite 



andlength- written agreements on a sounder basis. But 



ened term. 



the sooner the principle of security of possession, 

 for a definite and lengthened term, becomes 

 generally recognised in England, the better will 



