PREFACE.

IN preparing a Second Edition for the press, the Editors have carefully revised the whole work, making alterations here and there for the sake of greater clearness, and adding comments upon points which have been mooted since the publication of the first edition.

Additional care has been bestowed upon the precedents, and many new forms of farming agreements have been inserted.

During the period which has elapsed since the passing of the Act, the various Chambers of Agriculture have been busy in settling scales of compensation, which have been forwarded in due course to the "Central Chamber," which has itself settled, for one kind of improvement, but for one only, a scale suggested for application throughout England and Wales. Through the courtesy of Major Craigie, the Secretary of the Central Chamber, the Editors have the advantage of being able to print the scales of all the Chambers which, up to date, have formulated particular scales. These scales are here arranged in alphabetical tables under the various counties to which they relate.

J. M. L.
E. R. P.-E.

February 5th, 1885.

PREFACE TO FIRST EDITION.

THE Agricultural Holdings Act of 1883 is to a great extent both compulsory and retrospective. It will, no doubt, be widely consulted, as it affects all agricultural landlords and tenants. Few Acts of Parliament are without difficulties of construction, and this presents very many. The Editors have endeavoured to make the present work as complete as possible, so as to be useful, not merely to the legal profession but to landlords, land agents, and tenants.

The work is intended, in the first place, for members of the legal profession; but, considering that the arbitrations provided for by the Act will frequently be carried out without legal assistance, the Editors have endeavoured throughout to make use of language perfectly intelligible to unprofessional readers. With this object the proof sheets have been revised by an unprofessional eye, and corrected by the Editors accordingly.

As the Act makes frequent reference to the Statute of William & Mary (2 Wm. & M. c. 5), that statute, with full annotations, as well as other enactments, relating to distress, has been printed. It has been thought desirable to add also the greater part of the Agricultural Holdings Act, 1575 as there is little doubt that, although largely excluded nsiderable number of tenancies are still

e forms annexed will be found several pre