] 3(5 Harm-Buildings and Cottages. 



has only a life-interest in the property. Sometimes the te- 

 nant has a greater command of ready money than the land- 

 lord, and he generally can lay it out with more economy, 

 and to more advantage. In such a case, it may be advisable 

 for both parties to arrange a plan, by which the buildings 

 are to be erected at the expense of the tenant, the farm be- 

 ing let at a rent proportionably lower, according to the ex- 

 tent of the buildings required. In other cases, when the 

 tenant undertakes the construction of the farm-buildings, 

 the landlord agrees to make an allowance off the first, the 

 second, and in some cases, even the third year's rent, for 

 that purpose. 



Many an industrious farmer however, has got the charac- 

 ter of being a bad husbandman, from having been unguard- 

 edly led, to exhaust his capital so much on buildings, as to 

 disable him from applying an adequate proportion of it, to 

 the purchase of proper stock, or to the cultivation of the 

 soil. And it may be laid down as a maxim, that though a 

 farmer is well entitled to accommodations, in proportion to 

 the size and produce of his farm, yet to erect these, on a 

 larger scale than circumstances require, is wasteful prodi- 

 gality. Above all, increasing the expense, by making or- 

 namental erections, cannot be too cautiously avoided. It 

 ought to be considered, that the repair of buildings upon a 

 farm, is a heavy burden upon an occupier during his lease, 

 and especially at its conclusion, when he is necessarily ob- 

 liged to put the whole in a good condition. A farmer, 

 without doubt, is entitled to comfortable and convenient 

 buildings, if they are not'upon the premises when he enters 

 into the farm; but in their erection, a prudent economy 

 ought never to be neglected ( 24 ). 



9. By whom the farm-houses and offices ought to be kept 

 in repair. The repairs may be done, 1. By the landlord ; 

 2. By the tenant ; or, 3. At their joint expense. 



1. When the landlord is to support the buildings, there 

 is often too little attention paid by the tenant to trifling re- 

 pairs, which would frequently save much greater charges 

 afterwards. When they are chiefly done at the cost of the 

 landlord, they are estimated, on an average, at 10 per cent, 

 of the rent, including materials^ 41 ). They are in some 

 eases, however, so enormous, that on one estate, where the 

 rent was L. 15,000 a-year, they amounted, in eleven years, 

 to L. 40,000 (~ 4 -). 



2. The repairs of farm-houses and offices, in the greater 

 part of Scotland, are usually done by the tenant ( Z43 ). It is 



