191 1.] A Spanish System of Estate Management. 397 



carried to the granaries of the owner, where they are carefully 

 weighed in the presence of the tenant, who receives a receipt 

 for his share, which is placed to his credit in the yearly 

 settlement. 



The tenants as well as the members of their families are 

 employed at a fixed wage in periods in which there is little 

 work, in improvements on the estate, in repairs to roads and 

 buildings. This is arranged on a regular system, so that 

 everyone has a share in this work. At the time of preparation 

 of the produce, in this case the manufacture of wine and 

 oil, there is enough work for all. 



In the course of the year small sums are advanced to the 

 tenants up to 30 per cent, of the average value of the share 

 generally produced by the crops of the leased lands. 



The tenant's profit is therefore made up as follows : — 

 (1) Of the produce of the land held at a fixed rate less the 

 rent; (2) of his share of the produce of the land which he 

 holds co-operatively with the owner ; and (3) of the wages he 

 earns during the year for work on the estate and in connection 

 with the crops. 



He has then to his credit, in the balance at the end of the 

 agricultural year, the produce of the leased lands and the 

 wages which are due to him; and to his debit, the rent of 

 his irrigated land and house, the advances which have been 

 made to' him, the total value of manures received for the 

 irrigated land, and a part of the expenses of the manures used 

 on the other cultivated lands. 



If the final balance is in his favour it is paid to him at 

 once; in the contrary case he is allowed three terms, which 

 coincide with the periods of sale of his small crops and 

 kitchen garden produce, of his fattening animals and other 

 live stock. 



It will be noticed that the owner obtains all the produce 

 of the land (except that for which fixed rent is paid), that is, 

 all the produce which is naturally of the greatest value; half 

 of this being obtained by right as his share and half by 

 purchase; the purchase price is fixed by mutual agreement 

 between a representative of the owner and a representative of 

 the tenants, according to the prices prevailing in the district 

 at the time. 



In this way the tenant is assured of a fair price and a sure 



