48 



Farming of Lancashire. 



him ; and also, which is very important, afford him the oppor- 

 tunity of meeting with gentlemen famed throughout England for 

 their science and practice, and hearing from them, in the shape 

 of friendly discussions or lectures, their opinions and the results 

 of their experience. 



In education we are still very deficient, and also in capital 

 amongst the tenant-farmers : both the means and the knowledge 

 how to apply those means to the best advantage in the cultivation 

 of the land are wanting in Lancashire. This fact has such an 

 intimate relation with the whole subject of leases and agreements 

 between landlords and tenants, that it is impossible to enter fully 

 into all the bearings of this most important question without 

 taking it into account. 



Lord Stanley, when presiding at Lancaster, in October, 1847, 

 over the first meeting of the Royal North Lancashire Society, 

 placed the matter in its true light as regards this county, and I 

 hope I may be excused if I refer to his Lordship's speech on 

 that occasion. His Lordship is reported to have said — 



"With respect to the arrangements between landlords and tenants, if 

 they were not based on the strong ties and feelings of mutual confidence, 

 he should then not hesitate to recommend that the holding should be 

 secured by a lease, rather than by tenancy- at will ; because although tenan- 

 cies may be conducted in a manner that shall be satisfactory to both par- 

 ties, leases give advantages which cannot otherwise be bargained or stipu- 

 lated for. The conditions and durations of leases must necessarily vary 

 under different circumstances, according to the condition in which the farm 

 may be at the time of taking it ; but if, as he had before said, the agree- 

 ments between landlords and tenants may be considered based on the strong 

 ties and feelings of mutual confidence, he thought there was little advantage 

 in leases over tenancies. If the outlay for improving the farm has to be 

 made by the tenant, then he should by all means be unrestricted, and 

 allowed to receive the full and complete benefit for all his outlay; and at 

 the end of the term, if a tenant had so honourably performed his part, the 

 landlord would be unworthy the name of a man if he did not give such 

 tenant preference over strangers, and on terms more liberal than would be 

 proposed to any other applicant. If it should happen that a great outlay 

 was required, the capital should be advanced by the landlord, and the 

 tenant charged a reasonable interest upon it." 



The establishment of Agricultural Schools and Farmers' Clubs 

 would tend more directly than anything else to raise the standard 

 of education ; and, when anything of the kind has been attempted, 

 it is gratifying to find that the advantages are soon appreciated. 



The Earl of Burlington has founded a farmers' club at Dal ton, 

 which works well; and Mr. Wilson Ffrance, at Rawcliffe, has 

 also tried the same thing on a small scale, which promises to lead 

 to greater things. In both these instances that I have met with, 

 a small circulating library, composed of elementary works on 

 agriculture and agricultural chemistry, and others likely to in- 

 terest a farmer, has been formed,, and the books are lent out on 



