Farm Capital. 
187 
the course of tillage to be adopted. His visits were too short 
and far between to enable him to exercise any supervision ; and 
he was often too remiss to liave even found a new tenant who 
would watch over his own interest, until the eleventh hour. 
Besides, if the old tenant went out very much in arrear, with 
much diminished crops, these allowances found their way prac- 
tically into the landlord's pocket to cover the deficit, and it was 
convenient that their amount should be considerable. 
These remarks have been naturally suggested by the question 
of the capital required for taking a farm. It is against the 
public intei'est, as well as against agricultural progress, that these 
requirements should be excessive. When all superfluities have 
been removed, if improved farming is to be carried out, a sum 
will still be required considerably larger than was anywhere 
employed in bygone times, or than our inferior districts can now 
readily command. 
The farmer has replaced the yeoman, simply because when a 
man puts his brains and his time as well as his money into an 
occupation, it is profitable to make the area of that business as 
large as is compatible with good management ; and these advan- 
tages are so great as to outweigh those arising from the superior 
control, which is a necessarrj attribute of ownership. Sound 
economy suggests that this subdivision between the owner or 
capitalist, and tenant or trader, should be carried out as far as is 
convenient ; that the latter should not employ his means, which 
in connection with his attention are worth to him 10 per cent., 
Avhere those procurable by the capitalist at 4 per cent are avail- 
able ; and, on the other hand, that the former should not make 
any outlay that implies partnership in trade. Admitting these 
general principles, questions will practically arise whether, pri- 
marily at least, the work of some abiding improvements should 
not be effected by the tenant, when farm-labour enters largely into 
their cost, in consequence of his superior command and control 
over such agencies. The work of marling and liming, and, if 
there be skill on the one side and confidence on the other, the 
cutting of drains, are cases in point ; on the principles above 
stated the cost of draining should fall upon the owner, where, 
as in most cases, it is an indisputable benefit ; that of liming or 
marling might likewise do so, unless its advantage be so far 
questionable as to imply partnership in a doubtful enterprise. 
The Essay before us is certainly defective in one respect; viz. 
in assuming that an adequate supply of manure will be found on 
the farm by the incoming tenant without cost to himself. This is 
surely Utopian ! In fact the new tenant may either find manure 
composed of ground straw and water with a little horse-dung, 
free of charge, — and then he will have a supplementary bill for 
