46 THE BOOK OF THE LANDED ESTATE. 



It may not be out of place for me to remark here that receipts should 

 be got for everything paid for by the bailiff, when it is practicable for 

 him to do so. It is not usual to give receipts for cattle or stock bought 

 at a public market, and yet it is always advisable for a farm-bailiff 

 to get one for such payments. I knew one case where a farm-bailiff 

 did not produce receipts for stock bought in the public markets : he 

 entered his sales and purchases regularly in his books, and these were 

 examined by the agent on the estate weekly and passed ; but it turned 

 out afterwards that a great amount of the stock certainly had been 

 bought, which were not paid for, and ultimately this was the cause of 

 a great loss to the proprietor. There are, however, many upright and 

 thoroughly honest farm-bailiffs, and for their own sakes these should 

 never omit getting receipts for money paid by them, and giving the same 

 for money received. 



There is one cause which frequently interferes materially with the 

 profits of a home farm namely, the damage done by game of all descrip- 

 tions. This is more especially the case where the farm is situated within 

 the bounds of the park, as in such a case game is generally rigorously 

 preserved, no matter what injury may be done. So much is this the 

 case, that on several home farms which could be named it is useless to 

 attempt to cultivate winter vetches, carrots, and other crops to which 

 hares, &c., are partial. Another drawback under which home farms 

 labour is the loss occasioned by the crops being shaded with trees, and 

 closely hemmed in with plantations much more so than is usual in the 

 case of ordinary farms. Altogether, the remunerativeness of home farms 

 cannot be judged on the same principles that we would apply to farms 

 held by tenants, or even those retained temporarily in the hands of the 

 proprietor for the purpose of improvement. They are, however, estab- 

 lishments of considerable importance ; and in many instances their 

 management is so conducted that they are valuable agencies in promoting 

 the general improvement of agriculture on the estate, from the superior 

 kinds of live stock bred oh them, and other reasons. They are, in fact, 

 an essential part of a resident proprietor's establishment, and the manage- 

 ment pursued in their case should invariably be of a high order. 



In the case of a proprietor entering to a farm in the usual way, where 

 there is an outgoing tenant-farmer, there is generally an inclination on 

 the part of the latter to get as much as possible from the landlord, 

 whether such is exactly just or not, because he thinks there is nothing 

 unfair in taking advantage of one rich in purse and high in position. 

 Besides being a good agriculturist, the bailiff should be a shrewd active 

 person, able to detect any attempt at imposition on his employer's pro- 

 perty. I have known several instances where the landlord, on entering 



