142 



Landlord and Tenant. — Hints to Youns Men. 



Vol. IX. 



l<andloi'd and Tenant. 



The holdings of many of tlie Scotch farm- 

 ers are very large ; and their farms are gene- 

 rally held under leases of nineteen and twen- 

 ty-one years. 



I shall perhaps excite some surprise in 

 stating my belief, that the manner in which 



himself bound to continue his old tenants 

 and their children in possession, in prefer- 

 ence to any other tenant, as long as they 

 choose to remain, unless some extraordinary 

 contingency presents itself; and virtually 

 admits on their part a property in the soil. 

 The great length of time during which 

 families on his estates have held their pos- 



farms are held here on hire for a year, or on jsessions from fatlier to son, shows that h 



acts upon the most liberal principles; and 

 the condition of his tennnts and their great 

 improvements, evince that his honourable 

 conduct secures their entire confidence. It 

 cannot be doubted, however, that the uncer- 

 tainty of continuance, the absolute power of 

 discharge on the part of the landlord, the 

 risk of his caprice, and the possibility of a 

 new one coming in possession, must have 

 some effect in preventing or discouraging 

 impi'ovements. — Cohnmi's Tour. 



lease for a term of years, rather than being 

 owned by the occupants, is itself a powerful 

 instrument or incentive to agricultural im- 

 provement. In the United States, where 

 farms are owned by the occupant, the farmer 

 seldom keeps any account, and it matters 

 not much to him what is the result of the 

 year's management. The effect of this is 

 to render a man negligent and indifferent to 

 success or loss. But when at the end of 

 every six months, the rent must be paid, it 

 is not a matter of indifference whether his 



farming turns out well or ill ; for not only tt- . « v t»» 



the labour employed is to be paid for, but the ■"*"** *" ^ **""» ^*®"* 



rent of the fiirm must be punctually dis- "Who aims at excellence will be above 

 charged. This consequently compels him mediocrity; who aims at mediocrity will 

 to make every exertion by which he may bejfall short of it." 



assisted to meet his obligations, he finds no | Be industrious. We do not moan here 

 room for idleness or neglect; and the con-|!the industry of the hands alone; but that 

 tinuance of his possession depends upon his'Iperseverance in whatever we undertake, 

 good management and the punctual payment :that is the secure precursor of ultimate suc- 

 of the rent. Tliis prompts to watchfulness,! cess. Never allow the mind or the body to 

 skill, experiment, and improvement; and Istagnate; activity is necessary to the health 

 especially it gives to farming a commercial! of both. Always have some worthy end in 

 or mercantile character, and obliges the'jview, in whatever you undertake; remeni- 

 farmer to keep accounts, and so to learn the! bering that to fail with good intentions, is 

 exact pecuniary result of his operations — al more honourable than success in an evil 

 matter in which the farmers of the Unitcdj cause. 



States, as fir as my observation goes, whoj Cultivate your mind. It is of more im- 

 are the owners of the farms which they oc- portance to the young, that their reading 

 cupy, are almost universally deficient. Thcj;shou!d be select, rather than extensive, 

 strict responsibility to wliich t!ie farmers are jOne volume well understood, on any import- 



here held by their landlords, is undoubtedly 

 a material element in their success. At the 

 same lime, where the occupation is from 

 year to year, and leasee a.re refused on the 

 part of the landlords, as is generally the 

 case in England — though in Scotland leases 



ant topic, is better than half a dozen merely 

 skiunned. There are many subjects of 

 general utility, with which every man 

 should have a partial knowledge at least; 

 but it is one of the great faults of modern 

 education to spend too much time on studies 



are almost universal — ih^i effect must be tOjthat rather burden and cloo- tlie mind, than 

 prevent or discourage substantial improve-jistrengthen and inform it for life's practical 

 ments, as few persons will be inclined .tojiduties. Reading, or studying without some 



make such improvements with an uncer- 

 tainty of continuance. It is a fact, however, 

 which may create some surprise, that many 

 farmers are unwilling to take leases when 

 landlords would be willing to grant them. 

 But this happens only when there is a per- 

 fect confidence on both sides ; the tenant 

 has entire relianc3 upon the honour and 

 liberality of the landlord, auvl the landlord 

 is equally confident of the good conduct and 

 management of his tenant. An excellent 

 landlord in Lincolnshire, says he considers 



definite aim, is likely to lead to few useful 

 results. How many men there are who 

 have spent a large part of their lives over 

 books, of whom it may be said, "they re- 

 member a mass of things, but nothing dis- 

 tinctly." It is possible to cram the mind 

 with masses of indigestible materials, de- 

 structive alike to a healtliy and a vigorous 

 action of the intellectual powers. Such is 

 not the cultivation of the mind required by 

 a yaung American farmer. 



Be economical. No matter if your pa- 



