Farming of Nortliamptonshire, 



105 



is given for any draining done on the farm during the tenancy, or 

 for any permanent improvements done by him previous to his 

 giving up possession ; but if the tenant can be proved to have 

 overcropped the land, or neglected to cultivate it properly, or in 

 any way to have injured the freehold, he is liable to pay com- 

 pensation for all dilapidations. 



Many tenants hold under agreements differing very much in 

 the covenants : in some a regular system of cropping is marked 

 out, and a departure therefrom is visited with heavy penalties ; 

 grass land is forbidden to be converted into tillage. The right 

 of the game is reserved to the landlord or his nominee ; fences to 

 be cut regularly, and certain proportions of the farm drained 

 yearly ; and, in addition, many other clauses and technical phrases 

 are inserted, which, if ever read, are totally disregarded ; and it 

 may safely be said that such agreements are more generally broken 

 than kept. I know a case Avhere a man signed an agreement to 

 grow a fourth part of his farm turnips and cabbages, and during 

 seven years of his occupation never grew any. 



In some agreements the only covenants relating to cultivation 

 are simply to prevent the growth of two w^hite crops in succes- 

 sion, and the tenant is at perfect liberty to follow whatever other 

 rotation of cropping he may choose. Compensation is also given 

 for draining done during the last three years of the occupation — 

 the landlord retaining the right to the manure. 



From the fact of the greater part of the land in this county 

 being in the hands of noblemen and resident country gentlemen 

 there is great security of tenure. The entire tenantry of one of 

 the largest land proprietors averages nearly 100 years each of 

 family occupations, and many tenants can trace back for several 

 generations the occupancy of the same farm. This system ap- 

 plies to the tenantry of all the nobility, and may account for the 

 small number of leases. The late Earl Spencer offered his tenants 

 leases, but only one of his numerous tenantry accepted his offer. 



Among the smaller proprietors there are more frequent changes 

 of tenants, and consequently less security of tenure. In some 

 cases considerable loss has been incurred by parties laying out 

 their capital in improving the farm and then being called upon 

 to leave it — the landlord obtaining from the next tenant an in- 

 creased rental from the improved condition of the land, without 

 being called upon to make any compensation to the outgoing 

 tenant. I know a case where the rent was raised from oOs. to 

 42^. per acre, owing to the great improvements effected in drain- 

 ing and improving a farm, all done by the tenant, and towards 

 which the proprietor did not contribute a shilling, nor make any 

 compensation to the outgoing tenant. I am happy to say that 

 such cases in this county do not often occur, but truthfulness 



