THE AGRICULTURAL GAZETTE. 



523 



^before he can come to a so 



^clttjion. //°™ stakes have been made, and a flock 

 *° S -""L; ed 5 oge^r unsuitable to the .0.1, and 

 ^ been selected aii"b severity of the weather. 

 £p.ble of bearing e sever J ^ ^ daims 



»^e two breeds wl k h appea erg an(J the South 



„ p «b!ic attention are tte New ^ ^ ^ ity 



Down.. I' can "° v ^atnrity is considered, the Leicester 

 to f.tten and early ™£ ar *? all others . f or these qua- 



"* n °v T'^e may^u ^be considered as a model, and 



Ulie, , tbe SS possess these qnalities in a greater 



* . 0t I'ree "n proportion as they possess the Man- 

 or lesser degree, in P J the Leicester sheep . 



litnde of the ^ m . *$,$, not b e an exception to this 



T T for i t^Hrnp o ed and the neglected specimens be 

 ru le, for if the imp ^ foand tba| . &e excellencle8 



compared together, i which imate 



ot the former con^t'n t ■ V , f als0 a cansider . 



m0 ,t '» /he Letter. 1 and weight) 



•%".! J \n nearly'donble that of the Down. Where, 

 T" f r^the pasture is very fertile, and the sheep can 

 ? C ?L with much care and without exposure, the 



Kter 4 eTstly regarded as the most provable 

 l^ioeatci iu 3 j t ^ /1rQUlh!ir ,| rs however, are the m- 

 of the pure breeds 



.nfitted for the purposes of folding, or for the exposure 

 o? tn Soutl Downs, and still more for contending with 

 1 sevens of the Grampian hills or the Welsh moun- 

 tains In such localities these sheep could not endure. 

 Then again, the mutton is by no means so good as the 

 South Down, which, however, is partly, not wholly, 

 owing to the early period (twenty months) at which they 

 are fit for the butcher, and partly to the very large pro- 

 portion of tallow in proportion to the lean. Thus it is 

 not a favourite in the London markets, and accordingly, 

 of late years, the first cross between the Leicester and the 

 Down has been produced instead of the Leicester ; and it 

 is contended that this first cross is the most profitable 

 sheep that can be fattened, making greater and more rapid 

 progress than the Down, and batter meat than the Leices- 

 ter, and possessing, to some extent, the dark faces of the 

 Down, which sign-manual of their origin renders them a 

 greater favourite with the butcher. 



The South Down, or rather the improved South Down 

 —for there is a great difference between the two — pos- 

 sesses most valuable qualities ; with a propensity to 

 fatten inferior only to the Leicester, but with later ma- 

 turity (often 32 months, though considerably shorter 

 than what it once was), this breed are excellent travellers, 

 well adapted for folding, hardy compared with the 

 Leicester, and capable of living on short pasture, and 

 perhaps the best of all breeds for the Down farms of the 

 South of England. The mutton, too, is more esteemed 

 than any other, with the exception of the small mountain 

 sheep. Perhaps there is no ancient pure breed of sheep 

 that has undergone so much improvement as the South 

 Down, and it affords the owners of other breeds a proper 

 example, showing what can be done by care and atten- 

 tion, and the application of proper principles. Nothing 

 can afford abetter proof of the sterling qualities of this 

 breed than the facts that some 20 or 30 years since, the 

 price of South Down wool rendered the fleece a matter 

 of great importance ; and now, although the price is re- 

 duced to one-third, and it can never expect to realise 

 much advance, yet, notwithstanding this, the valuable 

 qualities of the animal, and the improvements that have 

 been made, have enabled the breed still to retain a fore- 

 most rank in public favour. 



With these two valuable breeds, each adapted for dif- 

 ferent pastures, it may, perhaps, be asked, What need is 

 there of any other? It will, however, be found that in 

 the marshes of Kent and many other places, the superior 

 hardihood of the native breeds has rendered them more 

 profitable than the Leicester, though, unquestionably, 

 crosses with the latter have much improved their value. 

 And notwithstanding the eminent qualities of the South 

 Down, they have been found not sufficiently hardy to 

 endure the severities of the Grampian hills or the Welsh 

 mountains. They have been tried and found wanting : 

 vast numbers have been destroyed by the rigours of 

 winter in these bleak situations, and the losses that have 

 accrued to many parties have deterred others from fol- 

 lowing their example. 



The Cheviot sheep possess many valuable qualities ; 

 decidedly inferior to the South Downs in their fattening 

 powers and their early maturity, they are superior in 

 these points to all other mountain sheep, and, in hardi- 

 hood, even to the South Dnwn. nnd are thus the bes 



SKETCHES OF EAST LOTHIAN HUSBANDRY. 

 As the subject of tenure appears to be now exciting 

 much attention, a brief account of the connection sub- 

 sisting between landlord and tenant in this district, may 

 prove interesting at the present time ; particularly as it 

 is, I believe, generally regarded as incontrovertible, that 

 the prosperity and acknowledged excellence of Lothian 

 Agriculture, the high rentals of proprietors, and the 

 comparative happiness and contentment of the rural po- 

 pulation, are mainly attributable to the secure and liberal 

 conditions on which the farmers hold possession. The 

 principal points to which I propose adverting, in my re- 

 marks upon this subject are, 1. Mode of letting or rent- 

 ing Farms. 2. Time and conditions of entry. 3. Va- 

 rities of tenure and usual covenants of leases. 4. Amount 

 of rent and public burdens. 5. Different modes of pay- 

 ing rent. 



1. When a proprietor has a farm to let, his factor ad- 

 vertises the circumstance in the newspapers, stating its 

 situation and extent — also the duration of lease, time of 

 entry, kind of rent, whether a money or a grain rent, or 

 a combination of both, together with any other particu- 

 lars connected with, or which may enhance the value of 

 the farm. Any individual whom such a farm and condi- 

 tions may suit, goes immediately to inspect it, accompa- 

 nied and assisted in its valuation by a few of his cleverest 

 agricultural friends. All the ability and practical skill 

 of the would-be-tenant and his advisers, are of course 

 called forth, and required on this momentous occasion : 

 they carefully examine the fields, fences, buildings, &c. 

 separately and minutely, particularly attending to the 

 nature of the soil and subsoil,— its condition with respect 

 to weeds, wetness, and fertility, besides a great many 

 other considerations which may enable them to arrive at 

 a tolerably correct estimate of the productive capabilities 

 of the farm, its advantages and disadvantages, but above 

 all, the amount of rent which it may be safe or advisable 

 to offer for it. All tenders, or written proposals, are 

 lodged, up to a specified date, (generally a month prior to 

 the period of entry,) with the factor. When a candidate 

 for the farm is well known to the landlord, or his 

 agents, as a man of capital and enterprise, no security 

 is required of him, but in the case of strangers and those 

 whose funds and ability for the payment of the stipulated 

 rent, and the fulfilment of the other obligations of the 

 lease, are unknown or questionable, ample and unexcep- 

 tionable security is demanded for having the farm 

 " stocked and cropped, and the first rent paid." In the 

 course of a few days after the time limited for receiving 

 proposals, the successful candidate for the farm is an- 

 nounced, and the others apprised of their failure. In the 

 majority of instances the highest bidder obtains the farm, 

 but this is not always or necessarily the case, the highest 

 offer being sometimes rejected and the preference given 

 to some more favoured competitor, although promising 



an inferior amount of rent. 



2. Possession is given almost invariably throughout 

 Scotland at the Whitsunday and Martinmas Terms (May 

 15 and Nov. 11), but the former is the usual period of 



adapted to their native hills, and all other pastures of a 

 similar character. When carried, however, to the ex- 



. «" the South Down, and are thus the best 



adapted to their native hills, 



similar character. When B..™, . , 



weme north and the islands of Zetland and Orkney, it is 

 said they are not sufficiently hardy for these extra 

 rigorous places, although it is probable, with a little in- 

 crease of care, they might be rendered so, and they would 



nen be far more profitable than the ungainly forms of 

 the native breed. 



T hese %*** breeds— the Leicester, the South Down, 

 tim- u Clieviot — -may be considered as the principal 

 pure breeds which this country possesses. They are 

 ^sential to the variety of pastures which obtain, and 



•wutthem this country could not be properly stocked. 

 eitlT r ed3 ' which ifc may be advantageous to adopt, 

 able" P ° s , sess P ecal iar qualities which render them valu- 

 DroJ r?w been crosse d extensively with more im- 



comin ds * [Extracted, by permission, from a forth- 



r, work on fihppn K„ \f. W r S„ A nm»r. Of 



entry in this county. The straw of the last or away-gomg 

 crop is sometimes left by the out-going tenant in " steel- 

 bow," according to previous agreements, that iff, it descends 

 without purchase to the new tenant, he, in like manner, 

 having to leave a similar provision for his successor. This 

 evidently useful regulation is not, however, so common 

 in this as in some of the adjoining counties. In the ma- 

 jority of instances the whole of the dung made from the 

 penult, or last crop but one, must also be left for the use 

 of the new tenant, for which he pays his predecessor ac- 

 cording to the valuation of arbiters mutually appointed. 

 The incoming tenant lias likewise to pay for the young 

 Grass (the previous year's sowing) and fallow, if any; 

 but he is entitled to compensation from the old tenant, 

 or from the landlord, should the former neglect to leave 

 in Grass of different ages, and in bare or summer fallow, 

 the precise proportion of the farm stipulated in the lease, 

 the amount of compensation being estimated by mutually 

 appointed arbiters. He is in his turn, of course, subject 

 to similar obligations at the expiration of his lease. 



3. Although the system of leasehold tenure for a 

 limited number of years may be said to be universal in 

 the Lothians, there are still, I understand, a few linger- 

 ing instances of life-rent leases in the parish of Ormiston, 

 and in one or two other places ; but this ancient mode 

 of tenure is deservedly hastening to utter extinction. 

 Life-rent tenure has almost invariably been found highly 

 detrimental to the progress of improvement, and the 

 int rests of the landlord, without communicating any 

 corresponding advantage to the tenant. Tenancy-at-will, 

 so prevalent in England and Ireland, is happily altogether 

 unknown here. An East Lothian farmer would consider 

 that individual as insane, who would take a farm, and 

 expend his money on its improvement, on the mere good 

 faith of any man; he must have everything down in 

 M black and white," before he lays out a shilling on the 

 farm. The general duration of leases in this county is 

 for a term of either 19 or 21 years, and as many crops 

 The restrictive clauses in East Lothian leases are neither 

 numerous nor very stringent, and as referring chiefly _to 

 the latter period of the>ase,are by no means obstructive 

 to improvements, or prejudicial to the interest of the 

 tenants. No farmer is 

 lease to any particular syste 



only other restrictions on the farmer's management relate 

 chiefly to the last four or five years of the lease. The 

 tenant is then required to have a certain number of acrea 

 in Grass, and frequently also a certain proportion in fallow, 

 dunged or limed, every year towards the conclusion of the 

 lease. With respect to the farm-buildings, it is generally 

 agreed that when the houses are put into a proper*' tenant- 

 able and habitable state" by the proprietor, the tenant 

 accepting of them as in such a condition, M binds and 

 obliges himself to support and uphold them, during the 

 continuance of the lease, and to leaue them at its con- 

 clusion in a like tenantable and habitable state." The 

 tenant is bound to have, at the termination of the lease, 

 a certain proportion — usually a sixth part — of the farm 

 in Grass of different ages, and generally also a similar 

 quantity uncropped, as a Turnip or fallow break. He is 

 likewise bound, as before observed, to leave the whole 

 dung of the penult crop upon the premises, for the use of 

 his successor. For the dung and the land that is un- 

 cropped, "■ value is to be paid him according as the same 

 shall be ascertained, by neutral men of skill and capacity 

 mutually appointed." It is perhaps needless to remark, 

 that the chief object of these restrictions is not so much, 

 to compel the tenant to observe a certain rotation of crops^ 

 or to cultivate the farm u according to the rules of good 

 husbandry"— this he will do from a regard to hi* 

 own interests — as to preserve the farm undeteriorated in 

 condition, and thereby to enable the tenant upon a new- 

 lease to proceed with its cultivation as if the former lease 

 had not expired at all. 



According to the law of Scotland in reference to 

 landlord and tenant, the latter cannot sublet or assign 

 the portion of his lease to run, unless expressly entitled 

 by the terms of his lease so to do, which is never the 

 case here. The tenant acquires a right to the use of the- 

 fixtures attached to the farm when he made his bargain, 

 and cannot remove any of them, though put up at his 

 own expense, at the end of the lease. Any article, the 

 removal of which will tend to injure the premises, is con- 

 sidered as a fixture. Machinery is generally looked on 

 as moveable. No building erected by the tenant can be 

 removed by him ; the landlord, if he think fit, may com- 

 pel him to remove it, but cannot compel him to leave it 

 in repair. When a tenant runs the amount of a year's 

 rent in arrear, or deserts the farm, the landlord may 

 compel him either to find security for the arrears, and 

 for the rent of the next five years, or to remove. When 

 the tenant is in arrear for two years' rent, he may be 

 compelled to remove. 



Sometimes the tenant has what is termed a breach in 

 his lease, generally at the end of the first seven years, 

 whereby he is enabled, should the farm disappoint his 

 expectations, or prove a losing concern, to throw it up 

 altogether to the landlord, after this seven years' trial, or 

 otherwise get such a reduction in the rent as will afford 

 him some remuneration for his capital and iudustry ; 

 very few farms are, however, given up at ihis period, the 

 landlord generally preferring to reduce the rent con- 

 siderably. 



The proprietor usually engages to render the dwelling- 

 house and offices suitable, and the fences " that they 

 may be able to keep in cattle and sheep," at the Com- 

 mencement of the lease; and likewise to make such 

 other repairs and additions (the tenant always driving 

 the materials), as may be agreed upon. Generally speak- 

 ing the East Lothian landlords give much encourage- 

 ment to all useful improvements, particularly draining, 

 for which some of them allow a considerable sum annually 

 to the tenant, or pay half the expenses ; others, again* 

 have tile-works erected in some convenient part of the 

 estate, at which the tenants obtain tiles either altogether 

 free, or at very reduced prices. When the lease of a 

 wet, dirty, impoverished farm expires, the landlord not 

 unfrequently retains it in his own possession for a few 

 years, in order to drain, lime, manure, and clean almost 

 every field, and effect any requisite repairs in the fences 

 and farm buildings, after which he seldom fails to relet 

 it again, at a considerably augmented rent.— T. Sullivan. 



restricted by the terms of his 

 em of cropping, it being merely 



_ croppi „. 

 stipulated that he is to - cultivate and manure the land 

 according to the rules of good husbandry, wd tha t he 

 it not take two white grain crops in succession during 



Home Correspondence. 



Culture of Wheat.— I* the county of Suffolk, where 

 Wiculture is carried on in a style perhaps not inferior to 

 any coanty in England, the agriculturists appear to me 

 o y manage y their heavy-land Wheats in the , .pnng some 

 what erroneously ; for instance, about the middle of 

 March they are harrowed for the purpose, I suppose, of 

 loos*niii- the top, so as to give the young plants 

 tab vSUr ; but after having been harrowed for two 

 or three days thev roll them down, consequently what 

 few small clods are left after harrowing are crushed to 

 powder ; then after a shower the land runs together, and 

 when the weather sets in dry it cracks in all directions. 

 My idea is, that if the roller had not passed over the land, 

 it would have been left in a much better state, either for 

 wet or dry weather. I am fully aware Wheat likes solid 

 land, and that rolling light and loose lands is very bene- 

 ficial. Should this meet the eye of any of your experienced 

 agricultural readers, perhaps they would be kind enough 

 to state why Wheat, on heavy lands, should be rolled 

 and harrowed, and what period of the Wheat s growth 

 may be considered the best time for performing these 



operations. — D. S, . 



Rot in Mce/i.— "J.Wighton," in your last Number, 

 requests information concerning the worm that 



mus 



So 



uthampton.] 



on sheep, by Mr. W. C. Spooner, of 



the rot in sheep. The ** fluke " is 



v _ _ _ the Disronia, or Fas- 



cioirhepalica r of authors on the »**^2 E» °f 



• i r i • i aQCO » Subletting all or any part of following paragraph from one or co mmon ia 



any period of his lease Sub Ictt ng J V£ Q ^,^ ^ This species .very c ^ 



sSZSife- szz 's I ftsasttsastt t — ... 



