86 THE BOOK OF THE LANDED ESTATE. 



it cannot be wondered at that an improved mode of managing them is 

 not adopted. Such a clause prevents a farmer from keeping his fences in 

 good order, if he should wish to do so. The hedges should not be allowed 

 to grow beyond a certain height, and they should be properly and regu- 

 larly switched. See " Hedges." 



la many agreements, as in the one given, the outgoing tenant is pro- 

 hibited from grazing the young grass with stock. This is proper, as, if 

 the outgoing tenant were allowed to graze it, he would probably have it 

 very bare up to the time he left the farm, and the incoming tenant would 

 have little benefit from it for a long time. 



The clause regarding game, as I have already stated, with reference 

 to the Scotch lease, is a very vexatious one between landlord and tenant 

 all over the kingdom, and it Is one which deserves the serious considera- 

 tion of all landed proprietors. It is the landlord's interest to keep down 

 the head of game on his estate, although many may not think so. So 

 long as the tenant suffers, the landlord must in time come to suffer 

 also. If the rabbits are not given over to the tenant, I would recom- 

 mend that proper rabbit-trappers should be appointed on an estate, whose 

 duty should be to see that they are kept down. It is a good plan, where 

 this is done, to give the man so much per rabbit he kills, and not 

 a day's wage ; then he will try and get all he can. It is stated in 

 the agreement that compensation will be paid for rabbit-damages, but 

 these damages can never be fairly estimated. A certain amount of pro- 

 duce may be taken as the quantity the rabbits may have eaten, but 

 there is the loss of manure which would have resulted from that produce, 

 and the quantity of grass and the harm done to it can never be calcu- 

 lated justly. The best plan is in all cases to see that hares and rabbits 

 are kept at least within reasonable bounds on the estate. 



On many estates in England the tenancy commences on the 25th day 

 of March, and notices to quit must be given on the 25th day of September 

 this is what is termed the Old Style ; and it is also a rule, where the 

 four-course rotation is carried out, instead of the outgoing tenant having 

 one-fourth of the arable land as his waygoing crop, he is allowed one- 

 third, paying a rent for the same either after the average rent of the farm, 

 or at a sum stated in the agreement. The same agreements state that 

 the landlord or his incoming tenant shall be at liberty, on and after the 

 1st day of December preceding the expiration of the tenancy, to enter 

 upon the arable land which the tenant may be entitled to sow with 

 corn that is, the one-fourth or one-third, as the case may be to sow 

 seeds with such crop, and to enter upon the arable land which the 

 tenant may not be entitled to sow as an awaygoing crop, for the pur- 

 pose of ploughing and cultivating the same. 



