cbap.xri. THE COUNTY OF FIFE. 361 



tenant can now pay his rent with two-thirds of 

 the grain requisite under the former periods. 

 And to the proprietor i oo 1. is of no more va- 

 lue now, than 661. 135. 4d. was, during the 

 preceding 19 years. But had the 150 bolls of 

 grain, necessary to raise the lool. of money 

 rent under the former period, been fixed as the 

 rent, it is plain that, under the next period, the 

 same quantity of grain, without prejudice to the 

 tenant, would have raised the money payable to 

 the landlord, from lool. to 150!. 



Lastly, Taxes and Public Burdens. On this 

 ground there is little reason to complain. These, 

 if heavy, and imposed during the currency of a 

 lease, as they form an unexpected addition to 

 the stipulated rent, may distress and embarrass 

 the farmer, and, in some cases, may be materially 

 hurtful. But if known* previous to his enter- 

 ing to the farm, they cannot be considered as 

 an obstacle to improvement, so far, at least, as 

 the tenant is concerned ; because he has it in 

 his power to insist upon a diminution of rent, 

 in proportion to the extent of the tax or burden 

 imposed. 



The road-money is one of the principal bur- 

 dens to which the farmers in this county are 

 sujected. But this, even though imposed dur- 

 ing the currency of the lease, cannot be consi- 

 dered as a material hardship, as the advantages, 

 which they will derive from the improved state 

 of the roads, will more than compensate the 

 duties they are liable to pay on this account. 

 And at the end of the lease the burden must 

 fall upon the proprietor ; as, making a new bar- 

 gain, the tenant will, and in prudence ought to 

 Z z * 



