XVI. THE COUNTY OF FIF. 355 



the effect of raising the rents. The demand for 

 provisions will, in these circumstances, be en- 

 creased, and the price of grain will, of course, 

 become higher. 



Many other causes, such as an encreased po- 

 pulation, in consequence of the establishment of 

 a manufacture, or any other public work in the 

 neighbourhood ; making or repairing the public 

 and private roads ; the benefit of a canal ; the 

 discovery of new means of improvement in the 

 farm, or in the vicinity, &c., will produce a rise 

 of rent, independent of any improvements an- 

 tecedently made upon the soil. 



To the truth of these observations fact and 

 experience will bear testimony. In my own 

 neighbourhood, I know several farms which, at 

 the end of the last lease of 1 9 years, were in as 

 bad, perhaps a worse state, than at the begin- 

 ning ; and yet, under the next lease, brought a 

 rise of rent from 50 to 100 per cent, from good 

 substantial tenants., Now, let us suppose one of 

 these farms to have been let during the last 2 1 

 years upon the plan under consideration, and 

 see how the case will stand. Supposing the 

 rent iool.,the rise for the next period will be 20!. 

 The landlord wishes to remove a lazy spiritless te- 

 nant, who has rather injured than improved his 

 farm : arid, besides, he has an offer of 200 1. 

 for the farm from a substantial and industrious 

 tenant. The sitting tenant, however, is entit- 

 led, by the lease, to continue in possession, un- 

 less the landlord give him ten year's purchase of 

 the rise-rent, and of what additional advance he 

 may choose to offer. Let us suppose that he offers 

 Yy 2 ' 



