270 Of the Checks to Population Bk. ii. 



been more subdivided. Many of them are indeed 

 now divided into half gores and quarter gores, and 

 some still lower ; but it has in general been the 

 custom, on the death of the father, for a commis- 

 sion to value the estate at a low rate, and if the 

 eldest son can pay his brothers' and sisters'* shares, 

 according to this valuation, by mortgaging his 

 estate or otherwise, the whole is awarded to him : 

 and the force of habit and natural indolence too 

 frequently prompt him to conduct the farm after 

 the manner of his forefathers, with few or no 

 efforts at improvement. 



Another great obstacle to the improvement of 

 farms in Norway is a law, which is called Odel's 

 right, by which any lineal descendant can repur- 

 chase an estate, which had been sold out of the 

 family, by paying the original purchase-money. 

 Formerly collateral as well as lineal descendants 

 had this power, and the time was absolutely un- 

 limited, so that the purchaser could never consider 

 himself as secure from claims. Afterwards the 

 time was limited to twenty years, and in 1771, it 

 was still further limited to ten years, and all the 

 collateral branches were excluded. It must how- 

 ever be an uninterrupted possession of ten years ; 

 for if, before the expiration of this term, a person 

 who has a right to claim under the law give notice 

 to the possessor, that he does not forego his claim, 

 though he is not then in a condition to make the 

 purchase, the possessor is obliged to wait six 



* A daughter's portion is the half of a son's portion. 



