Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-10-02
COMMISSION REPORTS ON HOW GREAT
BRITAIN RETAINS FERTILITY OF SOIL

thirty years mas 0e0n enacted. l HIS
legislation (Which may be found in its
complete form in the Public General
Acts, 1909 endeavors to conserve the
rights, first, of the land: second, Of the
tenant; and third, of the landlord.
The British law does not recognize
the landlord as the absolute owner Of
the land. The spirit of the law is best
stated by definition given us by q
Scotchman who has given this subject
much study, namely: Land and all
that is in it and on 1t belongs to who
ever put it there" There is no Ques-
tioning Of the means by which these
large estates came into the hands of
the ancestors Of the present owners
The landlord has title to the land IT.
self; and in England and Scotland he
also owns the improvements which he
and his ancestors put there; but there
is recognition of the right OF the tenant
toremove at the end of his lease with
out damage to the interests of the
landlord) any improvements he has
been Obliged to make, and especially
of his right to any fertility he may
have added to the land during his oc-
cupancy. f-
For example, II he has bought stock
feeds. such as Indian corn, oil meal,
cottonseed meal, or any other meal,
and has fed it to stock, he Is credited
with the manurial value of that feed
until he has had opportunity to recov-
er 1t during the term Of his lease or Of
his occupancy. II he has plowed un-
der clover or other humus material,
he Is entitled to compensation in case
he is removed. This principle applies
to commercial fertilizers.
On the other hand, II he has sold OF
the farm certain grains specified by
the law, the landlord has the right to
sue him to recover the manurial value
OF the feeds sold, or to demand that
an equivalent be returned to the land
by the tenant. #,s
The landlord may not raise the rent
because of any increase in fertility
which the tenant may have put in the
land And II he does 80 without rea-
sons justified by good husbandry, &C
cording to the custom Of the country
and neighborhood, the tenant may re-
cover not merely for the expense Of
removal, but for any damages that he
may have incurred This Is called
Suing for disturbances" When q,
lease expires and Is not renewed, and
the tenant actually leaves, he is en-
titled to recover for any aunexhausted
manures. This the landlord must pay
He charges 1t up to the land. This
must be assumed BY the incoming ten
ants, the equities being determined by
an arbitrator, an expert In lands and
manures, appointed by the department
OF agriculture. From his decisions
there can be an appeal, and second
appeal, but no more. This decision, II
at all just, is practically final.
This brings us to the very core OF
the matter. The tenant, being assured
OF payment for any unexhausted fer
tility he may have added to the land,
is encouraged to do his best, and nat
usally desires to remain on the land
for long period, usually the longer
the better. On the other hand. the
landlord. being indisposed to pay the
debts Of the land, is anxious to retain
the tenant as long as possible. This
explains why the one-year lease IL
something practically unknown either
in England, Scotland or Wales.
It also explains the fact, surprising
to us, that lands in these countries
usually maintain their fertility. This
was not the case prior to the enact
ment Of these laws. Under the old
fourteen and nineteen year leases, the
tenant (human nature In tenants bey
ing much the same on both sides Of
the OCEAN, was likely to do first-class
farming the first years Of his lease.
and then become what ID there known
as "scourger," "physicker" Of the
land British for soil robbery, getting
out OF it all that was possible toward
the end Of the lease, and putting In
nothing more than he was absolutely
required to do. The new. land laws
make 1t to the interest Of the tenant
to farm to the best of his ability; to
the interest of the landlord to keep
him as long as possible. and thus con-
serve the fertility OF the land.
Mrs. H. o. Baker returned this
morning to her in Chicago after an
extended visit with her parents, Mr..