66 ^ Report on Continuous Corn Growing. 
done again. Throughout our generally well-farmed island are 
still thousands of acres of unprofitable clay, poor thriftless grass- 
land, and worthless wastes, on which the system described in 
this Report might be successfully prosecuted. But capital is with 
difficulty attracted into such hitherto unprofitable channels. 
Landlords themselves seldom have the time, taste, or spare funds 
for such enterprises. Whilst, without more permanence of tenure 
than is generally accorded, or a more widely recognised payment 
for unexhausted improvements, tenants of skill and means ob- 
viously are indisposed laboriously and expensively to raise tlie 
land they hire from a state of unremunerative barrenness to one 
of high and remunerative fertility. Nor is this to be wondered 
at. Several years elapse before even essential and judiciously 
effected improvements fully repay their outlay. Throughout 
England long leases, as of 19 or 21 years, which afford definite 
permanence of occupation, and an opportunity for tenants to 
recoup themselves for substantial costly improvements, are un- 
common. Cases occur in which the death of landlord or tenant, 
or the sale of property, produces, on short notice, a change of 
tenancy, and the reversion to the landlord of the occupier's 
capital. Such arrangements, too generally countenanced by 
custom, sanctioned by law, and peculiar only to agricultural 
occupations, obviously are a serious check to the expenditure 
of farmers' capital. The several classes concerned in agricul- 
tural prosperity, and whose weal or woe are so indissolubly 
connected, suffer together. The farmer's exertions are re- 
strained ; he has seldom liberty to make the best of his manu- 
factory of bread-stuffs or meat ; obsolete arrangements, devised 
to prevent deterioration of the occupation, unfortunately often 
prove more effectual in preventing its improvement ; uncertain 
whether he may enjoy time or opportunity to realise a return for 
extra expenditure, he is chary of laying out his capital ; his 
produce falls short of what it should be ; his profits are small. 
The landlord, who under any system must eventually obtain, 
without cost, a considerable share of all permanent agricultural 
improvements, has the resources of his property only very slowly 
and imperfectly developed, whilst his rent-roll shows little 
prospect of improvement. The labourer, under such a system, 
seldom has constant or remunerative employment. The com- 
munity at large pay higher prices for bread, meat, and dairy 
produce. 
Both Messrs. Prout and Middleditch are strongly impressed 
with the need of improvement in the system of land tenure 
They rightly declare that no tenants would have been justified 
under any system at present in existence, in undertaking th 
costly improvements wliicli they have made. 
This llepoi t has not been prepared with the idea that agricul- 
