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poor, a farm of about eighty acres belonging to
this Reverend Gentleman was let to a farmer for
sixty pounds per annum, but he complaining of
the badness of the land and his inability to pay
the rent, surrendered the farm, and received a
receipt in full for thirty pounds. But the poor
expressing a great anxiety to hire it in small
portions of one and two acres, it was let to them;
they cheerfully paid eighty pounds, but clear of
all expences, the landlord paying all rates.* They
were willing, punctual, grateful tenants, and not
a sixpence rent was deficient at Michaelmas. The
land of eighty acres, on which one tenant failed,
bore a luxuriant crop when in the hands of fifty
or sixty poor men, cultivated by spade husbandry.
In the tables published in this letter to Lord
Salisbury, of which I strongly recommend the
perusal, the exact profit which the poor man
obtained is mentioned. The average was at least
seven pounds seven shillings net profit. Let us
then take into consideration the advantage the
country receives from this additional quantity of
wheat and potatoes produced, and the certain
tendency of lowering the poor-rates, by enabling
the poor man to add to his earnings the sum of
three pounds thirteen shillings and sixpence by
* This should always be the case. The poor man should have
nothing to do with tithe or taxes. A little addition to the rent
will cover these outgoings.