Rent. $5 



Berate him as a kind of second parent, form a natural at- 

 tachment to his estate and family, and feel naturally inclin- 

 ed to do him justice. 



It is obvious, that all the expenses of a farm must of ne- 

 cessity be defrayed by a sale of the produce, before any pro- 

 vision can be made for rent; and when these charges absorb 

 more than the whole produce, there is nothing left for the 

 payment of the landlord. The increase of the tenant's ex- 

 penses, taxes, assessments, tithes, law-charges and stamps, 

 as well as losses by bad debts, and otherwise, would have 

 extinguished rent several years ago, if the price of the bushel 

 of corn, and the pound of meat, had not advanced in pro- 

 portion to the tenant's expenses, and the other burdens to 

 which he is liable. In the present circumstances of the 

 country, high prices for corn and meat, are indispensably 

 necessary to the existence of rent, more especially upon in- 

 ferior soils ( I8z ). 



The late ingenious Doctor Coventry, drew up estimates 

 of the produce and the rent of arable lands, varying accord- 

 ing to the fertility of their soil, aud their climate, or height 

 of situation. The rents stated in the several columns, were 

 understood to be of lands properly divided, inclosed by 

 adequate fences, and in good tenantable condition. The 

 proposed rents, however, were only calculated to refer to 

 lands in ordinary situations, where there was no extraneous 

 supply of putrescent manures, and at such a distance from 

 great towns, as to be little benefited by them, from their 

 either furnishing manure, or favouring the sale of produce. 



Upon the subject of rent, it is proposed to consider : 

 1. What proportion of the produce should be paid to the 

 landlord ; 2. Whether a specific sum in money ought to be 

 paid, or whether it should vary according to the price of 

 produce ; and, 3. At what periods the rent should be made 

 payable. 



1. Proportion of produce as rent This is a question, that 

 has long been considered as abstruse, mysterious, and very 

 difficult to resolve. Some have supposed, that one-fifth was 

 a reasonable proportion, while others contend for a fourth, 

 or even a third part of the produce of arable land ( l83 ). But 

 all former calculations on this subject, are rendered falla- 

 cious, by the effects of modern improvements. The rent 

 ought certainly to depend upon the amount of the disposable 

 produce; and that produce in grain, is greatly augmented, 

 both by a diminution of the consumption on the farm, ef- 

 fected by improved implements (* 84 ), and a more correct ar- 



