354 AGRICULTURAL SURVEY OF chap. XVI. 



And this allowance is given to the tenant as an 

 incitement to persevering industry, and a re- 

 ward for his improvements. 



Now, this scheme would be perfectly right, 

 were the rise of rent universally owing to the 

 tenant's improvements, which seenas to be the 

 principle upon which it proceeds. But this, it 

 is well known, is not always the case. Other 

 causes, besides the amelioration of the soil, may 

 be assigned, the fall of the value of money, for 

 instance. A farm which, under the last period 

 of 21 years, paid a rent of 100 1., may, on this 

 account, yield I2ol. during the currency of the 

 next period, without having received any im- 

 provement. The reason is plain : The same 

 proportion of the produce which, during the 

 former period, brought lool. at market, will 

 now yield 120!. Here, then, there is in fact 

 no real rise of rent ; because the same quantity 

 of produce pays the rent now as formerly ; and 

 100 1. was of as much value to the landlord, un- 

 der the former period, as 120 1. is under the lat- 

 ter. Will any man then say, that it is just and 

 equal that the landlord should pay this 200 1., 

 being the ten year's purchase of the rise-rent, 

 when that rise of rent is owing, not to the te- 

 nant's industry, but to the depreciation of mo- 

 ney ? 



Again, a growing taste for husbandry may 

 encrease the number of candidates for farms. 

 This will naturally produce a competition, and 

 a rise of rent will be the certain consequence, 

 Or, in a great manufacturing county, the thriv- 

 ing state of the manufactures, or even a particu- 

 lar period of uncommon prosperity, will 'have 



