melioration. It is impossible, however, to distinguish between these portions. Most improvements, when once effected, become so intimately blended with the soil, that they cannot be separately considered; nor, supposing they were requested to make the attempt, would any two agriculturists, however skilful, form the same estimate of the real rent of an improved farm. But it is, notwithstanding, obvious that a very large portion of the rent of Great Britain consists, in fact, of a compensation, or return, for the vast amount of capital expended on agricultural buildings and improvements. It is to be regretted that we have no means of forming any estimate, which shall have any pretensions to accuracy, of what the portion of rent accruing to the landlords on account of improvements may really amount to. We believe, however, that it is decidedly greater than the other; but, estimating the whole rental of Great Britain at thirty-four millions, if we set apart seventeen millions as real rent, and regard the remaining seventeen millions as interest on account of buildings, fences, drains, roads, and other improvements of the soil, we shall certainly be within the mark.

Distribution of Rent in England. - Landed property in England is not so unequally distributed as many suppose. The highest rental may amount to about 100,000l. a year; but there are comparatively few estates worth more than 10,000l. or 12,000l., and the great majority are under 1,000l. We regret, however, that there are no means either of classifying the incomes derived from land, or of estimating the total number of proprietors amongst whom it is divided. Dr. Beeke says that the latter amount to at least 200,000 — (Observations on the Income Tax, 2d ed. p. 21.), which would give, at an average, 150l. a year to each. In the agricultural counties, the smaller proprietors are understood to have become less numerous during the present century; but in the manufacturing districts the reverse is true, and large estates have become comparatively rare.

Agricultural Capital - Great Britain. The capital employed in farming has been very differently estimated. It was supposed by Arthur Young, in his Tour, to amount to about 47. an acre, which, taking the cultivated land of England and Wales at 31,000,000 acres, would give an aggregate sum of 124,000,000l. It is generally believed that this estimate was at the time pretty accurate; but, owing to the general rise of prices, and to the great improvements that have been made in the stock and implements employed in most farms, the amount of capital engaged in agriculture must be much greater at present than in 1770; and cannot, we are assured, be estimated at less, at an average, than 67. or 77. per acre; giving the total sum of 186,000,000l., or 217,000,000l. The capital required for farming the 5,000,000 arable acres in Scotland may be estimated at 57. or 6l. an

acre.

Insufficiency of Agricultural Capital. It is a remark, as old as the days of Columella, that a farmer's capital should be above rather than below his farm. But it may notwithstanding be affirmed that, speaking generally, farms in all parts of Britain are decidedly understocked. This is a point as to which, more than any other, farmers are apt to miscalculate. Those who should only take a farm of 1007. or 150l. a year, not unfrequently take one of 2001. or 300l. They are led to do this by the greater consequence attached to the occupancy

of a considerable farm, by associating in their minds the idea that much land will bring them much profit; and by an over sanguine expectation that they will be able, by superior address, or by the assistance of friends, to make the capital answer the demands upon it. But such conduct is, for the most part, very short-sighted. A deficiency of capital disables farmers from procuring the best sort of implements; from performing the different operations in the best and most expeditious manner; from executing improvements that are, perhaps, indispensable; and most commonly ends by involving them in debt and difficulties, from which it may not afterwards be in their power to escape. "There is not, in the whole range of rural economy, a more important object than the country being richly stocked. The best land is of no avail without a sufficient sum of money to render its fertility of use: neither skill nor industry will make any amends for the want of an ample stock. One of the most common and yet most fatal errors, to which the conduct of a farmer is open, is that of understocking." (Young's Northern Tour, vol. iv. p. 272.)

Profit of Farmers. It appears from the previous table (p. 534.) deduced from the official returns, that the profits arising from farming in England and Wales, in 1810-11 amounted to about 22,000,000l. It has been contended that they have fallen since 1814 in a greater degree than rent; but this is problematical, and at all events they may now be safely estimated at about 21,000,000l. This would give, on a capital of 186,000,000l., a gross profit of about 11 per cent., and on a capital of 217,000,000l., it would give nearly 10 per cent. It is, however, to be observed, that this 21,000,000l. of gross profit includes, besides the return to the capital possessed by the agriculturists, all that they receive as wages, or on account of their labour in superintending and working on their lands. When a fair allowance is made on this account, it will be seen that the nett profit realised by the occupiers is but of very limited amount. In this respect, indeed, farmers seem to be less favourably situated than most other classes. Even with the greatest care and attention, few amongst them attain to opulence. The great majority merely manage to live respectably, and to bring up a family. "The few," says Mr. Loudon, "who do more than this will be found to have had leases at low rents, indulgent landlords, to have profited by the accidental rises in the market or depreciation of currency, or to have become dealers in corn or cattle; and rarely indeed to have realised aught by the mere good culture of a farm." — (Ency. of Agriculture, p. 719.) The opinion of Mr. Burke, who, in the estimation of those most capable of judging, stood high both as a scientific and practical farmer, is to the same effect. "In most parts of England," says he, "which have fallen within my observation, I have rarely known a farmer (I speak of those who occupy from 150 to 300 or 400 acres) who to his own trade has not added some other employment or traffic, that, after a course of the most unremitting parsimony and labour (such for the most part is theirs), and persevering in his business for a long course of years, died worth more than paid his debts, leaving his posterity to continue in nearly the same equal conflict between industry and want, in which the last predecessor, and a long line of predecessors before him, lived and died."-(Thoughts and Details on Scarcity, p. 21.)

II. SCOTLAND.

Cultivated and Uncultivated Land. Estimates are given in the General Report of Scotland (vol. i. pp. 37. 58, &c.) of the extent of the cultivated and uncultivated land, exclusive of lakes, in each county. There may have been errors in these estimates when they were drawn up; and a good deal of waste land has been brought into cultivation during the last 20 years. We have, however, been assured by those best able to judge on such subjects, that the estimates in question are more accurate than any others that have hitherto been put forth; and that, for most practical purposes, they may be held to be quite correct. We, therefore, have adopted them in the following table; and have added to it a column showing the extent of cultivated land in each county, supposing 1,000 to represent the total extent of such land in Scotland. (See Table, next page.)

Distribution of Land - Quantity and Value of Agricultural Produce. This is a subject as to which the real information at our command is as limited in respect of Scotland as of the other divisions of the empire. According to the statistical tables in the General Report of Scotland (III. Append. p. 5.), the arable land is estimated at 5,043,450l. English acres. Of these the proportion in grass is estimated at 2,489,725, leaving 2,553,725 in tillage, which is supposed to be distributed as follows:

But a large extent of waste land has been brought under cultivation during the last 20 years; and we are, also, satisfied, from the greatly increased consumption of wheaten bread in Scotland, and other circumstances, that the quantity of land assigned to the growth of wheat has increased both absolutely and relatively. In our view of the matter, the distribution of the land in tillage would be more correct, were it made as follows:

Assuming this distribution to be correct, the quantity and value of the crops will be as follows:

TABLE of the Extent of Land (exclusive of Lakes) in the several Counties of Scotland, in Imperial Statute Acres, and in Scotch Acres, distinguishing the Number of Cultivated, and the Number of Uncultivated Acres in each; and showing the Proportion of Cultivated Land in each County, assuming 1,000 to represent the total Extent of Cultivated Land in Scotland.

30,117 328,283 358,400 23,877 260,271
24,480 247,520 272,000 19,409 196,242 215,651
21,888 525,312 547,200 17,353 416,485 433,838

284,148

5.971,508

4.853,820

4.339,886

Totals

5,043,450 13,900,550 18,944,000 3,998,572 11,020,709 15,019,281 1,000·000,000

The average value per acre of the pasture land of Scotland is estimated in the General Report at 21.; but we have been assured by

competent judges that it may be taken as high as 37.; and on this hypothesis, the produce of 2,489,725 acres of pasture will be 7,469,1757. a year. But to this has to be added the produce of about 14,000,00 acres of mountain pasture, wood-land, and waste-land; which, taken at the average value of 3s. an acre, is 2,100,000l. Hence the total annual value of the land produce in Scotland will be,

Value of crops and gardens of pasture land

of uncultivated land and wood

Total

£18,855,375

7,469,125
2,100,000

£22,925,000

Rental of Scotland. We have found it more difficult to obtain accurate information as to the rental of Scotland than of England. Mr. Wood could only supply us with an account of its aggregate rental from the Property Tax Returns. There is in the General Report of Scotland (vol. i. p. 123.) an account of the rental of each county, exclusive of houses, but inclusive of mines, fisheries, quarries, &c., for 1810, deduced from these returns. Unluckily, however, this table contains some very gross errors: these we have endeavoured to correct; and the following amended table differs very little in the result from the correct returns, and is, we believe, nearly accurate. (See Table, next page.)

We believe, for reasons similar to those stated in reference to England, that the rental of Scotland does not differ very materially at this moment from its amount in 1810. There have certainly been considerable variations in particular districts; but from all that we have been able to learn, we incline to think that the fall in some quarters has been fully balanced by an equal rise in others; and that, on the whole, the aggregate rent of the country at the two periods is pretty nearly equal. In 1815 the total rental of Scotland, exclusive of houses, amounted to 5,278,6857., being a rise of 427,2817. on its amount in 1810.

It is difficult to decide as to the share of the entire rental to be set apart as the rent of the 14,000,000 of uncultivated acres; but there are good grounds for thinking that it does not exceed 850,000l., leaving 4,000,000l. as the nett rental of the arable portion, being at the rate of 16s. an acre. Though there are considerable exceptions, there can be no manner of doubt that, speaking generally, the arable land of England is of a decidedly superior quality to that of Scotland; but, in consequence of the greater skill and economy of the farmers in the latter, and of the advantage they enjoy in the possession of leases, and the absence of tithes and poor rates, they are able to pay much higher rents for lands of equal fertility. The rent of corn land in Scotland varies from 78. to 37. an acre, and occasionally even amounts to 5l. and 61. The best pasture land rarely fetches more than 37. per acre; and that which is of a medium quality may vary from 14s. to 25s.

In the table in question, the gross rental of the stewardry of Kircudbright, in 1810, is stated to have been 22,7521., whereas it really amounted to 192,0477. !(See Scotsman, No. 588.) The gross rental of Kinross-shire is, in the same table, set down at 83,4884., being above 60,000l. too much! These blunders have been copied into some dozen publications.