REPORTING ON LANDED ESTATES. 337 



some cases it might be well if the proprietor were to inform the 

 reporter what amount of capital he purposes expending on the estate, 

 and then the reporter would require to consider what improvements 

 were most wanted, and how far the capital would carry out those 

 improvements. It is in all cases advisable for a reporter to ascer- 

 tain the views of the proprietor in regard to the improvement of his 

 estate. 



Having done so, the reporter should proceed to examine each field 

 on the property, and with the assistance of a labourer dig into the soil 

 and subsoil, so as to ascertain their quality, and if the field requires 

 drainage, to know at what depth the drains should be put; and, 

 if necessary, he should preserve a portion of the soil for analysis. 

 All the fields on a farm having been thoroughly examined, the build- 

 ings will next require attention. The reporter having first ascertained 

 the extent of the farm and the kind of husbandry adopted, he must 

 consider whether the existing accommodation is sufficient for the re- 

 quirements of the farm, and decide whether, if the accommodation is 

 deficient, it can be best improved by altering the internal arrange- 

 ments of the steading, or by adding new buildings to meet the require- 

 ments ; and if the existing offices are very much out of order and 

 deficient in accommodation, it might be advisable to have a new set of 

 buildings complete. 



The prevailing mode of farming on the property should be taken 

 note of, and remarks made on the system carried out by each tenant, 

 whether good or bad. Any one accustomed to such work, and the 

 general management of landed property, can easily tell from the 

 general appearance of the farm, the state of the soil, the crops, the 

 fences, roads, the farmer himself, his family and his dwelling-house 

 whether he is a tenant capable of improvement or not. In fact, notice 

 should be taken of everything on the property farms, soil, cropping, 

 fences, roads, buildings, tenants, woods and plantations, labourers' cot- 

 tages, labourers themselves, drainage, game as affecting the tenants 

 with suggestions which may tend to improve, develop, and increase the 

 general fertility and welfare of the property. 



There are many able men who are well qualified to give such a report ; 

 but, as a rule, few men are to be found who can give good reports both 

 agriculturally and arboriculturally, as many experienced reporters can 

 give highly-valuable suggestions in regard to agricultural matters, who 

 cannot be relied on for giving advice in regard to the management of the 

 woods and plantations. On the other hand, there are able men who can 

 give full, comprehensive, and valuable advice in regard to the manage- 

 ment of woods, who have not sufficient experience to justify them in 



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