4 7 4 HIRING FARMS. [OCT. 



fortunes of such : they are apt to take one false guide 

 in particular, the success of the last tenant. If a man 

 makes a good deal of money on a farm, or leaves it 

 for a much larger, numbers will immediately apply 

 with eagerness to get it ; but if a tenant or two 

 break, or are poor on a farm, most of the neighbours 

 consider little farther; they attribute too much of 

 the ill success to the land, and avoid it, under an 

 idea that, without a fall of rent, no money can be 

 made on it. 



Soil. Let the farmer that is debating whether he 

 should hire a farm that is offered him, examine the 

 soil well, to be able to determine its nature, the 

 stiffness, moisture, exposure, levelness, slope, sto- 

 nyness ; what draining, manuring, fencing, &c. 

 will be wanted : let him see to the roads, distance of 

 market, prices of commodities, labour, &c. ; let him 

 fully acquaint himself with the state of tithes or ga- 

 thering. He should know the poor-rates, attend to 

 the compactness of the fields, and consider well the 

 covenants relative to cropping ; for many such are 

 extremely detrimental to a good conducl of the land. 



One general rule in hiring a farm should not be 

 forgotten to fix on good land, and he can scarcely 

 too much for it ; but, for poor soils, the least 

 sometimes too high to be consistent with pro- 

 fit. By poor soils, however, are not to be understood 

 such as have a command of lasting manures, that work 

 great improvements ; nor waste lands, which, under 

 that false denomination, are often found the i, 

 profitable of all. 



The sound, mellow, rich, putrid, crumbling, sandy 



loams, 



