

LAND- AGENCY. 17 



ment on the proceedings of the forester, and consult with the pro- 

 prietor in an intelligent and experienced manner in regard to any 

 matters that may arise in connection with this department. I have, 

 however, known men who had been well trained, and educated in 

 all the branches of knowledge referred to, but who, nevertheless, were 

 not well qualified to conduct all the business devolving on an estate 

 agent in a satisfactory manner; and I shall, therefore, just refer to a 

 few qualifications which are absolutely necessary to enable a man to 

 turn his previous training to good account in conducting his business. 

 He should be of a cool and calculating turn of mind ; never acting 

 without calm consideration as to the probable results of all he proposes 

 ' or undertakes in relation to the business of his employer. He will find, 

 on most estates, farmers who are as well able to judge of agricultural 

 matters as he is, perhaps more so ; and if he give them a hasty and in- 

 considerate opinion in reference to any matter, it cannot fail to damage 

 his reputation, not only in the eyes of the tenants generally, but also in 

 the estimation of the proprietor. He should never be one-sided in his 

 dealings between landlord and tenant, but act in the fairest and most 

 candid way possible between them. In order to insure his dealing 

 fairly between the respective parties, he must have a clear judgment in 

 regard to everything he engages in ; as if he has not this qualification, 

 he is apt to lean to one side or to the other, as it were by chance, and 

 without being able to give a reason for it in his own mind. Clearness 

 of judgment and decision of character form high qualifications in a land- 

 agent, as without them nothing can go on well under him. He should 

 have a considerable amount of patience and frankness, combined with 

 acuteness, in order to enable him to deal with the different characters of 

 men, such as are to be found among farmers and tradespeople gener- 

 ally in the country. In dealing with farmers, especially, he is likely to 

 find many of them of antiquated habits and ideas ; and unless he can 

 reason them out of such in a patient, cool, and happy manner, he will 

 not be able to command their respect, or induce them to listen to his 

 advice. 



It will thus be seen that the duties of a land-agent, and the qualifi- 

 cations requisite in order to enable him to conduct his business in an 

 efficient manner, are of a different, and, in fact, a much higher nature 

 than we should be led to expect from the qualifications of not a few 

 individuals who have been appointed to the office. Poor relations have 

 in manifold instances been provided for by an ^appointment of this kind ; 

 and we have known even ex-butlers and confidential valets figuring as 

 stewards or agents on certain estates : it has been considered, in short, 



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