TENURE 83 



became incorporated in the large surrounding estates 

 and was naturally let out to tenants. 



A still further reason for the development of tenancy 

 was the existence of a great land hunger amongst the 

 rich ; land brought with it social prestige and political 

 power. And the amenities of ownership of land must 

 not be overlooked, for this side of the question was 

 more pronounced in England than in most other 

 countries. For years the landowners were so wealthy 

 (often quite apart from their capital in land) that they 

 could afford to consider landowning as an amenity 

 rather than as their main source of income. Then as 

 time went on the English landowner developed a great 

 fondness for shooting and often, alas ! " sport had it " 

 to the disadvantage of agriculture. There is no doubt 

 that the excessive development of sport could not have 

 taken place under a system of small ownership. 



Again, landowners did not wish to farm large areas 

 themselves and therefore the only course open to them 

 was to let it to tenants. In those days tenants lived up 

 to their contracts, and painted and kept in repair their 

 houses and buildings. So that the landowner's out- 

 goings for the maintenance of his farms were light as 

 compared with the period subsequent to the great 

 depression of 1875. 



The increase in tenancy, for the reasons given 

 above, just happened to coincide with a period of 

 great agricultural progress ; it was not deliberately 

 developed because considered to be the system of 

 tenure best suited to progressive agriculture, nor 

 did it come about as the result of the working of 

 any iminutable law of economy. 



The system at its best undoubtedly suited the tempera- 

 ment of our people, and for the time being it saved them 



3 



