Let the farmer who is debating whether he imould hire a farm that is offered him, examine the soil well, that he may be enabled to determine its nature, with respect to stiffness, moisture, exposure, levelness, slope, stoniness, &c. Let him estimate the expense Of drain ing, manuring, and fencing, that will he required: let him take into consideration the roads, distance of mar kets, prices of commodities, labour, &c. The compact ness of the farm, and the situation of the homestead, should also be well considered; together with the pub lic burdens, and all out-goings. Let him deliberate upon all covenants relating to the manner of cropping the lands; for these are often in direct opposition to im provement. One general rule, in hiring a Etna n, should never be forgotten: The farmer should, if possible, fix upon good land, and he can scarcely pay too much for it ; but, for poor land, the least rent is too high. By good land, however, we are not to understand that which has the command of lasting manures, as marl, &r. ; neither are we to consider lands as unprofitable which pass un der the denomination of wasti, for such are often very rich.
These are considerations of great importance. It may also be added, that the mellow, rich, crumbling clays, or rather clayey loams, arc, of all soils, the most pt ofitable. Regard such as best, which will admit of being ploughed soon after rain, and do not cake on hot gleams of sun coming soon after: lands of that quality are of the greatest value, and to be preferred by every judicious husbandman.
Another consideration of great importance is, not to take a farm that may require more money to stock it well, than the farmer is in possession of. Farmers are usually very eager after quantity; the certain conse quence of which is, a slovenly system of management. A farmer loses much when he is obliged to desist horn a work, which he knows to be right, in consequence of a want of money; and he can only prevent such a loss, by hiring no more land than he can manage in a mas terly manner. Let any one consider the difference be tween good and bad husbandry it. all its branches. The one is a certain loss; the other a certain gain. A pro fitable and proper use of natural manures, as marl, clay, lime, &c. can only be made by those loaners who have money at command. In the of great cities and towns, a variety of manures are to be had, and in some places at a reasonable price; but .1 ithout the command of money, how are they to be obtained ? As in land, so in manures, quality is to he considered above quantity; but this is a distinction that many far mers are unable to make, and yet it is a thing of the utmost importance. Animals require ibod of a good quality, and they reject that which is bad ; but vegeta bles being of a passive nature, they can only show their dislike by a feeble and unhealthy appearance when grow ing.
Let the farmer ever hold in remembrance, that ma nure is the life and soul of husbandry ; and he that knows how to prepare it, and afterwards how to apply it, cannot fail or being a successful farmer in any situation.
On the Occupation of the Soil, The portion of land in Britain kept in the hands of pro prietors, is comparatively very small, ninety-nine parts out of a hundred at least being demised by lease of agreement to tenants for fora greeter or lesser number of years, under certain 1 omlitions or prcstations, which govern their management, and ascertain the terms un which possession is to be held during the year-. agreed upon. This is a wise system lor proprietors to ae t upon, because without the aid of the tenantr), it is morally and physically impratticAle to procure a suit able return from their estates, or even to hat e them Cul tivated or improved to an c stem in any measure tide (plate to their natural There are exceptioes, however, to this rule, hut they are not mom rolls. We have seen sonic proprietors implore lands in their pos session as well as could have been done by the most or rect Farmer, though perhaps at a greater expense. 'rids must necessarily happen (root the latter being always at the head of affairs, whereas the other must depute the management to a bailiff or steward, whose interest is not materially concerned in the issue.
Agriculture in Biitain is therefore carried on by far mers, who rent the land on such terms as can be agreed upon, and in most cases upon a lease, of longer or shower duration, as is customary upon the estate, or agreeable to the wishes of the propriet.r. nerally sp..tvking, the length of a lease is from 19 to 21 years. lm some cases it is not so long ; but it is evaleht, that when land is in an unimproved condition, a greater 11111111)er Or years is necessary to excite the tenant to make improvements. because he cannot (ahem ise reap the fruit of his labours. The value of land, lOr the last t•cnty years, has increased SO rapidly, that most proprietors are aNerse to grant a long lease, though it is demonstrable, that by shorten ing the period the permanent interest of the property is not ad vanced. A or less number of restrictive covenants are usually inserted in leases, many or them undoubtedly detrimental to the tenant, w ithout being of the slightest benefit to the proprietor. Wiwi] leases are front year to year, or the tenant is remorteible upon six months' warning, a practice very frequent in Digi strict covenants may be re_cessary ; because the tenant. having no more than an annual int. rest in the premises, might be led to sacrifice every principle of good hus bandry, and to ruin the ground committed to his ma nagement; hut w..ere the lease is for 19 or 21 years, covenants of any kind, except the one relative to annual rent, seem altogether useless, unke; in so far as relates to the four last years, when the interest of the parties clash or inter fere. Even then, nothing more is neces sary than covenants respecting grass and tallow, houses and Limas; for in the °Owr veal s, the interest of the tenant is a stronger motive to the performance of duty than the most express written olligations.