306 = 40 
British Agriculture. 
Landowner's 
necessities 
prompted 
leases in 
Scotland. 
Non-rcsidcnce 
of landowners 
produced < 
system of 
middle-men in 
time a legal right in the English farmer to compensation for 
unexhausted improvements, cumbered indeed with conditions 
which have made it unsatisfactory to both parties. A consider- 
able step has however been gained, as all parties are brought 
to look carefully into their position, and thus the mutual connec- 
tion, while losing something of sentiment, will in time gain 
more of business and enterprise. 
In Scotland the necessities of the landowners prompted them, 
at a much earlier period, to seek relief from the embarrassments 
of entail by obtaining legislative power to borrow money for 
the improvement of their settled property. And, when the 
means were thus provided for executing permanent works, the 
energies of the tenant-farmers were wisely enlisted in carrying 
these into remunerative effect by the now well-recognised form 
of a lease of nineteen years, at a fixed rent, to assure the tenants 
such a period of possession as should at once evoke their best 
exertions. This system has now been in practice for three 
generations, and its results are seen in a higher state of general 
cultivation than that of the sister countries ; greater competition 
for farms and a higher scale of rent ; more independence ; and at 
least as keen an intelligence shown in adopting improvements. 
For a long period the Scotch landowners have been compelled to 
look into the management of their property in a different manner 
from those of England. Upon them the liability was directh 
placed of finding the money for the public establishments o 
their counties, the churches, prisons, and police. They ha< 
the determination of questions of road-making ; and having t' 
contribute directly a large proportion of the county expenditun 
they took an active interest in its administration. This brougl 
them into closer business contact with the farmers ; and recei 
legislation has tended to increase this connection by the prii 
ciple of imposing all county rates in certain proportion direct' 
on landowners and farmers, and giving to both a I'epresentatic 
at the same county or parish board. There is thus a bett 
fusion of the two interests than in England, and a readier appi 
elation on the part of the landowner of the outlays requisite 
his part to enable his tenant to make the most of the landi 
farms. The time seems rapidly approaching when the Scol 
system of equal valuation and rating, imposed directly upon bd 
landowner and farmer, will be imitated in England, and Ira 
the principle of local administration in each county, by rejl 
sentatives of every interest at a county board. 
In Ireland the relation between landlord and tenant is 
gether different from that of England and Scotland. Previl 
to the famine of 1840, the great landowners were non-residl 
and the land was still in a great measure in the hands of mid) 
