b1—1846.] 
THE AGRICULTURAL GAZETTE. 
845 
unfortunate, because it appeared as if the interest of the | 
tenant was adverse to that of the landlord; but he was 
convinced that nothing could be more f: le to the 
cause I do not think it a happy one, implying strictly, as it 
seems me, more e advocates oi e 
interests of the landlords than that their tenanis should 
have this right, because they would be induced to lay 
out money as soon as they had this security for doing 
so. Allthe landlord was required to say, and it was no 
great boon, was, that the outgoing tenant should receive 
this again from the incoming tenant. 
DURHAM. — The Tenants’? Rights.— At the late 
monthly meeting of this Club the following discussion 
took place on this subject. 
MAN, who introduced the discussion, said,—The 
resolutions, then, which I shall commence 
year to year or other short term, it is highly advisable that an 
x jr "est d 
em 
nary good cultivation, and on which he shall not hi 
reimbursed before the determination of his tenancy: but that 
the interference of the legislature would be inexpedient ; 2. 
That though this species of tenancy may be considered the best 
when ci it i i to calculate the 
average price of agricultural produce for a series of years to 
come, yet when this is not impracticable, the best species of 
tenancy is a lease for a considerable period of years at a fixed 
rent.” In supporting these resolutions I shall, with your per- 
mission, reverse their order by applying myself, in the first in- 
stance, to that which stands the last, and alleges the superi- 
ority of a tenancy under a long lease with a fixed rent. That 
it is infinitely preferable to any other species of tenancy where 
the circumstances adverted to in the resolution admit its adop- 
tion, whether considered in regard to the interests of the 
tenant, the landlord, or the community at large, long and most 
attentive consideration of the subject has thoroughly convinced 
I must be permitted words in 
veference to the interests of the tenant on a subject on which 
we have recently heard a great deal, namely, “tenant inde- 
pendence,” and oh whic must say I think we have heard a 
great deal of idle declamation, and of very shallow and mis- 
Chievous sophistry. The present posture of agricultural affairs 
in this county does certain as we all frequently hear, de- 
mand great and increased exertions on the part of the farmers, 
and I for one, though a landlord, have, as most of the members 
of this club know, always maintained that it wi iso require 
most.considerate and liberal dealing with their tenants on the 
I sincerely believe the landlords of this 
What then is the meaning of the cry about 
endence, as though it were a something to be wrested 
rom landlords, and for which a war with them is to be 
waged? Rely on it, every man, tenant or not, has his inde- 
Anco in his own keeping, and I fear the battle to be 
one for its preservation is most frequently required to be 
done with ourselves. I counsel dependence? God forbid. 
No ; rather pay to the uttermost farthing the value of yourland 
than compromise your independence by throwing in a modicum 
Of subserviency to eke out rent. What is there in the re- 
lationship between landlord and tenant atthis day necessarily 
interfering with independence, at least when the tenant pays 
the full value of that for which he has contracted, and takes 
common precautions in having his contract properly ratified ? 
It is no small part of wisdom, however, to avoid placing our- 
B 
[ 
2 
however, that, to render the adoption of the long-lease and 
fixed-rent system advisable, we should be in a situation to cal- 
culate pretty accurately what may be the average price of agri- 
cultural produce for a Series of years to come; and I am afraid 
that, as yet, we arenotso circumstanced, I am happy to think 
that allusion to the subject of Corn-laws and protection is not 
prohibited by the rules of our Society. remember the 
iseussion it underwent some years ago, and I dare say it is not 
forgotten that I had the misfortune of standing pretty nearly 
alone on that occasion. to think, moreover, that 
none of those heats and animosities were thereby engendered 
Which some gentlemen out of doors, as the phrase is, prognos- 
tieated. It will, perhaps, be recollected that one of the grounds 
9n which I then advocated abandonment of protection and re- 
Course to a naturalstate of things, was that by that means 
alone, would the tenant farmer be enabled to calculate safely 
on future prices, with a view to long leases and fixed rents—no 
Subsequent events bave at 
cumstances, and that they will not be ultimately maintained, 
I think, then, that some time must yet elapse before any real 
9r other short holding, purposes anything like spirited farming, 
i of stipulating, 
Aceording to the terms of my first resolution, “in the form 
of an agreement in writing, for remuneration for all such outlay 
ashe may have made beyond ordinary good cultivation, and 
9n which he shall not have been reimbursed before the deter- 
Mination of his tenancy.” Ihave used the terms “outlay on 
Which he shall not have been reimbursed,” in preference to 
unexhausted improvement,” the common expression, be- 
+} mitted to 
The 
in carrying out this form of tenancy, I do not think, however, 
that these are insurmountable difficulties, ressing 
myself now to the question, whether the interference of the 
legislature be or be not expedient, one cannot but ask how, if 
these matters be of difficult adjustment by parties having only 
their own peculiar case to provide for, is the legislature to be 
expected to deal with them. Every case must, as I h 
this, I better effected by the parties 
themselves, which seems to me to present one of the great ob- 
jections to legislative i But, furthermore, how 
would it consist with justice and policy were the legislature to 
confer on one s$ f rendering another re- 
sponsible—rendering them in short debtors to an unlimited 
amount, without, in legal phrase, their knowledge, consent, or 
vivity, directly, perhaps, contrary to their wish had they had an 
opportunity of expressing it, an i e 
beyond their ability to pay. I have heard it said, however— 
‘Oh, on't mean that landowners should be made re- 
sponsible in this way unconditionally ; it must be provided that 
they have notice of what is going to be done and be consenting.” 
But if this sort of option be left them, if they are to possess a 
veto, then it resolves itself into a matter of stipulation and 
agreement after all, which as I have so often said, needs not le- 
you. " 
he Rev. J. Tyson said—Mr.Spearman in the most handsome 
nvanner has referred to the independence of the tenant. Now 
I hold'that to be a perfect bugbear. I cannot understand how 
atenant or anyother man can be independent. We are all 
arrangement would be destroyed. e one receives and 
the other bestows—the landlord looks upon the tenant as a 
person he is interested in aiding and assisting, and thus society 
goes on rishing, and I should deeply regret if anything were 
to occur to disturb the harmony which thus exists, 
Mr. Tyson 
then referred to and opposed Mr. Spearman's views on the 
Corn-laws. ^ 
Tuomas Cnorrox, Esq., of Holywell, said: I will allude to a 
i the attention of Mr. 
matter whieh seems to have escaped 
stocks the farm with game, ;what, 
individua] 
where, a few years ago, the whole of the crops were destroyed 
by game ; I know of several others which I need not mention, 
and I believe that unfortunately game is greatly increasing in 
our own neighbourhood, Now, what I would recommend the 
thi 
tious grounds of objection to which allusion has been made. 
In that lease he must also have a reservation that the game 
shall be his property. It is all very well for gentlemen to talk 
about en, ng the sports of the field, and thus preserving an 
enormous amount of game; but supposing such a reservation 
as I have described were granted in all cases, I feel quite cer- 
tain that there is such a spirit in the British farmer that where 
he knows he has a landlord who is a sportsman he will protect 
to the utmost the game that he may require. At the same time 
must be permitted to observe that there is that spirit in him 
which will not allow him to condescend to support that game 
when he sees thatit is preserved for the benefit of the game- 
keeper or his friends, and that when killed it is exposed for 
sale in the public market, I, for one, will never take a lease 
without a reservation secures me the game; and if the game 
is not to be mine, I will not take a lease at all. When we see 
a landlord desirous of possessing sporting occupation, no 
farmer will oppose his wishes. e wants is fair compensa- 
tion for the injury which that game may commit, and I believe 
there is not a tenant in this country who is not anxious to see 
his landlord supplied with game if he desires it. But when the 
whole crops are destroyed by rabbits or other game, I think it 
is but fair and reasonable that the tenant should possess the 
right of destroying them.— The discussion was afterwards ad- 
journed.—Abridged from a Durham paper. 
Dorxine : Planting of Coppice Woods.—On the 3d 
inst., the meeting of the club took place. Mr. Wirsox, 
steward to the Duke of Norfolk, read a paper upon the 
best method of managing woods and copses. The prin- 
cipal topic alluded to were the great importance, in a 
county like Surrey, that they should have the best 
opportunity of bringing the timber to the greatest per- 
fection, and to yield a good return. Although he had 
had some experience in these matters, he could have 
wished the subject had fallen into abler hands to speak 
upon. He hoped, however, they would give him credit 
for endeavouring to be useful. First, in planting the 
timber, it was as necessary to prepare the land as it 
was to do so for a crop of corn; and the first thing 
necessary to be done was to form a boundary that sheep 
and cattle might not get in—the land cleared from 
water—and he recommended for this open ditches 
instead of under-draining. If the land was wet the 
irees became covered with parasites, which would 
materially injure the timber, The ditches should be 
from 18 to 24 inches deep. The pits should be two 
feet in diameter, one foot in depth, and six feet apart. 
or Fir, nine inches deep he considered sufficient ;-if 
the plantation was intended for profit only one sort of 
tree must be planted, if for ornament, quite a differens 
sort. He would recommend—first, Oak and Fir ý 
second, Oak, Elm, Oak and Ash— and he would particu- 
larly recommend one species of Oak—the Quercus ses- 
siliflora, and not the Quercus pedunculata, which was far 
inferior. ‘These were the most profitable. Mr. Wilson 
then detailed the various purposes to which these, as 
well as Beech, were applied, as well as the Spanish 
Chestnut. In the latter great care shouldgbe taken to 
obtain foreign seed, for if not, the trees never grew into 
much value. When the trees were thinned out the 
hard wood should be left at the distance of 20 or 30 
yards apart, so that the boughs of one should not more 
than touch those of another. In order to afford a 
little shelter he would plant a few Larch, but he would 
not recommend much of this. If the plants should 
throw out more than one shoot the first year they 
should be broken off, and the ditch should be well 
cleaned out every two years. If the proprietor wished 
for a quick return—from a calculation he had made of 
the cost and produce of an acre of Larch, at the end of 
seven or eight years it left a balance of 4l. 19s. 8d., 
which was upwards of 10s. per aere ; but if for timber; 
and reckoning 40 years as sufficient, the profit, we 
understood, would be 264/. 10s., or 67. 13s. 3d. per 
year. He was not very nice in his calculation, but he 
believed he was correct. In reference to woodlands 
and underwoods, he recommended they should be 
planted in groups—and if any blanks arose-they should 
be filled up in the autun. He did not consider it 
desirable to grow timber and copse together. 
Mr. WELLER said, in reference to planting, he thought 
it was quite a landlord's question ; he entirely agreed 
with most of the remarks made by Mr. Wilson, to whom 
they were much obliged, but he did not quite agree with 
him as to planting underwoods in groups ; he thought 
it would be a decided failure. He would plant all de- 
scriptions of wood, and if one did not answer he would 
plant rods or layers ; he would recommend layers of 
Ash, Hazel, and especially that sort that had but little 
leaf; he would then plant Birch and Willow. There 
was one suggestion thrown out which he thought was 
very important, viz., separating the rods and layers 
from the stem. He thought trees in hedgerows should 
be entirely condemned ; he thought the failure in the 
Turnip crop was frequently owing to this and the copse: 
and that all timber should be grown quite distinct from 
the corn fields. 
Mr. Barctay, in reference to the growth of Larch, 
said a friend of his had had some land which was not 
worth 5s. per acre annually, and would not sell for more 
than 107. or 12}. He had planted it with Larch some 
years since, and it was now worth 70/. per acre. He 
thought for timber plantations there.should not be any 
copse allowed to grow. In referenee to cutting trees, 
he was of opinion they were all wrong. e knew one 
gentleman who would not cuta single tree till they 
attained perfection, and he eut upon an estate of 2000 
acres 30,0007. worth. He (Mr. Barclay) was inclined 
to think there was something in the Oak which was 
injurious to corn more than the shade it threw out, as 
he had notieed that field which had the most sun next 
the Oak the corn appeared more injured than the other 
side. Regarding the value of timber, when he and his 
brother went to Earl Lovelacé's some time since, he 
talked of cutting 20,0607. worth. He (Mr. Barclay) 
had made a calculation of the difference if he had eut 
it in 1812 (during the war), and he found he would 
have cbtained in the first place 40,0007. instead of 
20,0007. ; and ifit had been invested in the three per 
cents., it would have amounted to 200,0007. by this time. 
He thought it desirable in double spading, which he 
had done, to let the soil taken from the surface be re- 
turned tothe surface again, and it was important to 
keep it free from weeds; in one place where he had 
neglected doing so, the trees did not grow for two or 
three years. As soon as his eopse was cut, he went 
with his woodman and marked every tree that did not 
grow, and eut it down. In reference to timber in hedge- 
rows, he was an advocate for larger fields, and not 
having any timber trees in the hedges ; but he thought 
a few in meadows was beneficial as they afforded 
Shelter for the cattle. Another great benefit to the 
farmer he thought would be the destruction of hares 
and he strongly advised the cutting off all splices the 
first year from the wood. 
3itebícfus, 
Blights of the Wheat and their Remedies. By Rev. 
E. Sidney. Religious Tract Society. London. 
Tats little volume is one of a series issued at monthly 
intervals by the Tract Society— Original, Scriptural, 
Popular, Portable, and Economical” Treatises on His- 
torical, Descriptive, Seientifie, and other subjeets. 
They are very eheap— 6d. a volume, and must obtain 
an immense circulation. "The present number is full of 
information, very attractively told, of the highest inte- 
rest to the farmer. The fungi attacking the straw, 
leaves, and chaff, flour and grain of our crops; the ani- 
maleules and insects to whose attacks they are liable, 
are the subjects discussed by Mr. Sidney. He gives 
their history and habits, and suggests remedies for, and 
preventives of the injury done by them. The following 
extract illustrates the style and character of the work : 
“To return to the bunt ; we may observe as before, 
that of the multitude of its sporules or fine contents no 
adequate conception can be formed, One grain of 
