VALUATION OF LAND. 



of the land, which is the ground-work of the calculation ; 

 though it has little weight in the fcale of valuation. The 

 fee-finnple value of an ac/e of land may be lefs than twenty 

 Ihillings, or it may be more than an hundred pounds. Ne- 

 ver.thelefs, it is on the quantity the rental value is calculated ; 

 and it is ufual for the perfon who parts with it to exhibit a 

 •< particular" of the eftate or property on its difpofal ; 

 [hewing, or which ought to (hew, not only the aggregate 

 quantity, b'.'t the number of acres that each piece or parcel 

 contains, as well as other matters ; and ought, moil parti- 

 cularly, to fpecify the diftinA quantities of the lands of 

 different qualities ; in order that their feveral rental values 

 may be afcertained with greater eafe and accuracy. 



2. The intrinfic quality of the land, which is effen- 

 tial in forming the eftimate. But even this, in a general 

 view of the value of lands throughout the kingdom, is often, 

 it is faid, of fecondary confideration : for, in many cafes, 

 their values are given by fituation, rather than by foil and 

 fubftrata. In fome cafes, as has been feen, the value of the 

 fituation may be a great many times more than that of the 

 intrinfic value of land. But ti.is exceffive influence of 

 fituation is, however, limited in its effects, and is chiefly 

 confined to the environs of large towns, and other extraor. 

 dinary markets for produce of the farm-kind. A great ma- 

 jority of the lands of this country owe their values lefs to 

 fituation than to intrinfic quality ; and to come at this with 

 fufficient accuracy, is the mofl requifite, and, at the fame 

 time, the mod /difficult part of valuation; as it depends 

 almoft wholly on extemporary judgment, exercifed on the 

 frequently few data which rite to the eye in paffing over 

 the field of eftimation. It is, therefore, almoft needlefs to 

 ftate, that to acquire the degree of judgment which is iiecel- 

 fary to the execution of this difficult critical tafk, it is re- 

 quired to know and be perfeftly acquainted with the nature 

 and produftivenefs of lands of different appearances : a fort 

 of knowledge which fcarcely any thing but mature praftice 

 in tlie cultivation and ufe of lands of different qualities can 

 fufficiently teach ; though long habit may do much in ordi- 

 nary cafes towards hitting off the value of lands, without an 

 extenfive knowledge of the praftice of agriculture. 



There are cafes, however, it is faid, in which both of 

 thefe qualifications are found infufficient to give any accu- 

 racy of judgment, even among provincial valuers of land. 

 And a perfon who ventures to ffep forward as an univerfal 

 valuifl, fhould have either an extraordinary talent for the 

 purpofc, or Ihould, after a fuitable initiation, have had great 

 experience in rural concerns in different parts of the 

 kingdom. 



3. The fituation ; which, although it has been already 

 flated, that the value of the lands of this country, aggre- 

 gately confidered, depends lefs on fituation than on in- 

 trinfic quality, yet in every part it has great influence. 

 Thus, an acre of land, the intrinfic quality of which renders 

 it, in an ordinary fituation, in what regards locahty merely, 

 worth twenty fliillings the acre, would not, it is obferved, 

 in fome diltrifts or places, be worth more than fifteen fiiil- 

 bngs, while in others it would bear to be eftimated at 

 twenty-five Ihilhngs, or even a higher price of rent, to a 

 farmer on a large fcale, and away from the immediate en- 

 virons of a town, or any populous diitrift of manufafture ; 

 for reafons that will be feen in examining the different par- 

 ticulars of fituation. In the temperature of fituation too, 

 whether it be given by elevation, afpeft, or expofure, a 

 powerful influence is found, which is capable of altering 

 exceedingly the value of lands. The fame fort of foil and 

 fubfoil, it is faid, which is not unfrequently feen on expofed 

 mountains, and hanging to the oortb, and which in that 



fituation is not worth more than five fliilhngt an acre, 

 would, if fituated in a fhcltered vale traft, and lying well to 

 the fun, be worth twenty Ihillings, or a greater rent. Even 

 on climature, fomething confiderable in this bufinefs, it is 

 thought, depends. In the fouthcrn part of the country, 

 the harveft is, in general, a month earlier than in thofe of 

 the north ; though it is not regulated exaftly by the chmate, 

 or the latitude of the places : this is confequently a cir- 

 cumftance that requires to be attended to by thofe who 

 eftimate the values of ellates or lands. For an early harveft 

 is not only advantageous in itfelf, but gives time to till the 

 ground, or to take an autumnal crop, which are advantages 

 that a late harveft will not fo well admit of being had. 

 And another kind of temperature of fituation has ftill, it is 

 fuppofed, more influence on the value of lands, which is 

 that of the moiftnefs of the atmofphere. A moift fituation 

 not only gives an uncertain and often late harveft, but 

 renders it difficult and hazardous ; as is too frequently ex- 

 perienced on the weftern coaft -fides of this ifland. Even in 

 the turn of furface, exercife is found, it is faid, for the judg- 

 ment. Lands lying with too ftcep or too flat furfaces, par- 

 ticularly when of the arable kind, and retentive, are of lefs 

 value than thofe which are greatly ftielving, fo as to give a 

 fufficient difcharge to furface-water, without their being 

 difficult of cultivation. Steep-lying lands are not only 

 troublefome and expenfive under the operations of tillage, 

 but in taking out manures, and getting off the produce. 

 Lands lying with an eafy defcent, or on a gently billowy 

 furface, may be worth more by many pounds an acre in the 

 money they will bring, than others of the fame intrinfic 

 quahty, hanging on a ileep. Another confideration of the 

 fame weight in valuing an eftate, or other landed property, 

 is a fuppiy of water for domeftic purpofes, for the ufes of 

 live-ftock, and for the purpafe of iiTigation. There are 

 fituations, it is faid, in which a copious ftream of calcareous 

 water would enhance the fee-fimple value of a large eftate 

 fome thoufand pounds. Likewife a fufficient fuppiy of 

 manure, whether dung, lime, marie, or other mehoration, 

 being at a moderate price, and within a moderate diftance of 

 land-carriage, materially adds to the intrinfic value of lands. 

 And the cftablifhed praflice of management of the diilridt or 

 county in which an eftate or land hes, is capable of enhancing 

 or deprelTing the value of it exceedingly. Even the fingle 

 praaical point of ploughing light and loamy lands with two 

 oxen, ,0V two aftive horfes, inftead of four heavy ones, is 

 capable of making a diff'erence, on good land which is kept 

 alternately in herbage and corn-crops, of from five to ten 

 ftiilhngs a year, on the acre ; or ten pounds an acre in the 

 money value which it is worth. 



The price of labour is alfo ftated as another regulator of 

 the marketable value of land in a given diftrift. It is always 

 right, however, to compare this with the habits of exertion 

 and induftry which prevail among farm workmen, before 

 the neat amount of labour can be fafely fet down. The 

 price of living too, or expence of houfe-keeping, prevalent 

 among farmers, has its ftiare of influence on the value of 

 lands. In the more reclufe parts of the north of this 

 country, the farmers, efpecially of the lower and the more 

 inferior claftes, and their iervants, are fed, clothed, and ac- 

 commodated, at nearly half the expence of thofe of a fimilar 

 degree in many parts of the more centra! and fouthcrn dif- 

 trias. In a county where frugality prevails too, lands of a 

 given quality will ever, it is faid, bear a higher rent than they 

 will where a more profufe manner of hving has gamed a 

 footing. Hence, hkewife, the fpirit of improvement, or the 

 prejudice againft it, which prevails in a diftrid, is a circum- 

 ftance of fome value, it is fuppofed, in this intention. For 



