FARM. A certain amount of provision reserved as the rent of a messuage. Spel: man, Gloss.
Rent generally which is reserved on a lease ; when it was to be paid in money, it was called blanche ftme. Spelman, Gloss.; 2 Bla. Com. 42.
A term. A lease of lands; a leasehold interest 2 Sharsw. Bla. Com. 17 ; 1 Reeve, Hist. Eng. Law 301, n.; 2 Chit. Pl. 879, n. e. The land itself, let to farm or rent. 2 Bla. Com. 368.
A portion of land used for agricultural purposes, either wholly or in part. Winn v. Cabot, 18 Pick. (Mass.) 553; Com. v. Car malt, 2 Binn. (Pa.) 238.
A body of land, usually under one owner ship, devoted to agriculture ; either to the raising of crops, or pasturage, or both. It is not understood to have any necessary relation to, or to be circumscribed by, polit ical subdivisions. A farm may consist of any number of acres, of one quarter section or less, or many quarter sections ; of one field, or many fields ; may lie in one town and county, or in more than one; Peo ple v. Caldwell, 142 III. 434, 32 N. E. 993. See Kendall v. Miller, 47 How. Pr. (N. Y.) 446.
Usually the cbief messuage in a village or town whereto belongs a great demesne of all sorts.
Cowell ; Cunningham, Law Diet.; Termes de la Ley.
A large tract or portion of land taken by a lease under a yearly rent payable by the tenant. Tom lin, Law Diet.
From this latter sense Is derived Its common modern signification of a large tract used for culti vation or other purposes, as raising stock, whether hired or owned by the occupant, including a mes suage with out-buildings, gardens, orchard, yard, etc. Plowd. 195; Touchst. 93.
In American law, the word has almost exclusively tbis latter meaning of a portion of land used for agricultural purposes, either wholly or in part. Cora. v. Carman, 2 Binn. (Pa.) 238; Winn v. Cabot, 18 Pick. (Mass.) 553; Wheeler v. Randall, 6 Mete. (Mass.) 529. .
By the conveyance of a farm will pass a messuage, arable land, meadow, pasture, wood, etc., belonging to or used with it; Co. Litt. 5 a; •Shepp. Toucbst. 93; 4 Cruise, Dig. 321 ; Plowd. 167.
In a will, the word farm may pass a free hold, if it appear that such was the inten tion of the testator ; 6 Term 345; 9 East 448. See 6 East 604, n.; 8 id. 339.