26 AGRICULTURAL SURVEY

Leaſes upon lives only a as checks to improvements; they are, in general, only beneficial to the firſt purchaſer, who ſecures an income on three lives, for fourteen years purchaſe—the fee ſimple of which would have reguired double the ſum. The ſucceſlors, elevated by poſſeſſing an eſtate under 2 ſmall an- nual guit rent, inſtead of full rent, /¡ve up to the height, as the phraſe is, and are but ill-prepared to renew the leaſe, or pay the fine reguired when a life drops. The leaſe, through inabi- lity of the tenant to renew, or ſome other caul(e, is ſuffered to run out, under the uncertainty of life, and the lands(there be- ing no proviſion made by covenants to prevent it) are haraſſed and abuſed to ſuch a degree, as to reguire a length of time to reſtore them, y

Theory and pradtice, it muſt be confeſled, are perpetually at variance, as well in Agriculture as many other purſuits Tt might at firſt fight appear, that the cuſtom of granting leaſes for three lives(a tenure that gives ſuch probable ſecurity to a te- nant) would excite a degree of ſpirit of improvement amongîit the. holders of theſe tenures. Experience however proves the contrary factt—For leaſcholds upon lives are generally under the moſt wretched cultivation,

Eaſy rents may have produced a careleſs indolence, and hence an averlion to enterprize.‘The landlord having but little intereſt in ſuch’eftates, and leſs power over ſuch tenants, is himſelf checked from any ſpirit of improvement upon ſuch cantingent property. Thoſe proprietors who look a little to- wards the welfare of poſterity, are come to a reſolution of run- ning theſe tenures out, and,‘of courſe, the tenants are not be= hind in exhaufting and every way impoveriſhing the land.

The ancient cuſtom of granting leaſes for three lives is be- ginning to difappear: It ſhould ſeem probable that this tenure, which grants ſo much ſecurity to the tenant, would naturally excite a liberal and enterpriſing ſpirit of huſbandry: fa@& how- ever proves the reverſe of the propoſition; the ancient leaſe- hold eſtates being almoſt univerſally in a wretched ſtate of cul- tivation, beyond all compariſon leſs produétive than thoſe held

upon ſhorter tenures, Eaſy rents, ſecure poſleſſion, and good

land,

i.

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