The land occupiers of this county have not been wanting in the spirit of enterprize. The great exertions of Bakewell, in the improvement of every species of live stock, are well known : in this he has been ably seconded by a great number of respectable characters, who have also endeavoured to adapt their land to an improved stock, by drainage and every other species of improvement, suited to produce an healthy and plentiful pasture, and great winter resources, for supporting a large and valuable stock. This spirit of emulation has spread universally amongst the smaller farmers, and amongst all ranks of land occupiers, and so far exited them, that there is now no land occupied in the county, but would be ashamed of shabby or inferior stock, and if he could not produce something of an improved, or superior order. Many of the smaller farmers upon the Belvoir, the Beaumanor, and many other estates, occasionally put their own hand to the plough, or assist in the other manual operations of farming ; yet there are few of them that do not keep one or more male and female servants. The great merit of the Leicestershire farmers, has mostly shewn itself in the improvement of live stock, and particularly sheep ; and next to this in the improvement of grassland. In dairy parts of the county, the business is well conducted, and a great deal of cheese produced. In the cultivation of green crops, as turnips, and particularly Swedish, they much excel ; but in the cultivation of grain and pulse, I reckon them not superior to the neighbouring counties, though many public spirited cultivators have tried the effects of hoeing, hand setting, and the drill system ; but no farmer here, to my knowledge, has risen to any degree of opulence, without excelling in live stock, and keeping a large proportion of his best land at pasture : these are, therefore, naturally the first objects to an intelligent Leicestershire farmer.
As an illustration of the alteration of circumstances with the times, I shall beg leave to make the following short extract from the British Plutrach : "Hugh Latimer was born at Thurcaston in Leicestershire, about the year 1475 ; his father was a reputable yeoman, who had no land of his own, but rented a farm, on which, in those frugal times he maintained a large family, six daughters, and a son."
"In one of his Lent sermons, preached before Edward VI. After exclaiming against the enclosure of the common fields, and other oppressions practised at that time by the nobility and gentry, he takes notice of the moderation of the landlords, a few years before, and of the ease and plenty enjoyed by the tenants. As proof of which he adds, that upon a farm of four pounds a year at the utmost, his father tilled as much ground as employed half a dozen men ; that he had found the king a man and a horse, himself remembering to have buckled on his father's harness, when he went to Blackheath; that he gave his daughters five pounds apiece at marriage ; that he lived hospitably among his neighbours, and was not backward with his aims to the poor."
Thurcaston remained an open field till 1798.-See Enclosures.

The rent of farms in Leicestershire may be reckoned from one pound to two pounds per acre, average 30 shillings ; the rent of water meadow land, and good grass, and other land near towns, three pounds to five pounds per acre, and in some few instances higher ; but this subject can only be stated in a general way, & minute inquiries of this kind are looked upon with suspicion, and considered as an over curious prying into private affairs. The credit given for rents is three months in hand ; generally rents due Lady day, paid about Midsummer ; and due Michaelmas, paid about Christmas ; but with some variations. The real annual value of the county, including the residencies and occupations of gentlemen, and rents of houses in towns, must, I think, be between £700,000, and £800,000 per-annum. Mr. Throsby observes, land near Leicester let at five shillings per acre in 1700, is now five pounds per acre.

The ancient enclosed land is generally titheable ; the modern enclosures are as generally exonerated by an allotment of land, which is commonly about one-seventh part of the whole, in lieu of tithes : but I was informed by Mr. Graham, a resident farmer, that upon the enclosure of Queensborough, one-sixth of the land was given up in lieu of great tithes, which in the open field state had been collected in kind; besides which, a small allotment to the glebe in addition, and an annual money payment was given in lieu of vicarial tithes ; the few remaining common fields are titheable. In the enclosures in the vale of Belvoir, the tithes are all exonerated, either by an allotment of land, or by corn rent ; in the latter case, commissioners name, or specify how many acres of corn ought to be cultivated, and the average price of wheat for 14 years past, and thence deduce a specific sum, to be in lieu of tithes annually ; at the end of 14 years this is liable at the instance of the parties to be renewed by a reference in the same way ; the old enclosed part, of every new enclosed township, has also been exonerated ; no instance but of one rectory in that part of the county.
Mr. Watkinson of Woodhouse, stated to me, that he formerly used to pay for tithes to his neighbour, Mr. Herrick, who is lay impropriator, eight shillings per acre, for tithe of wheat, and six shillings for all other grain and pulse ; but since grain has taken a higher price, it has been left, by consent of the parties, to a third person to value the tithe. The tithe owner is a gentleman of great liberty, and the parties are on most friendly terms.
In the case of tithes belonging to the rector, he naturally looks for the full value, being generally in limited circumstances : this frequently brings on altercation and mis-understanding with the cultivators, whom I have often heard speak of tithes in most bitter terms, and it often occasions land to be thrown to grass ; and there can be no doubt but the quantity of grain grown, is lessened by the land being titheable. It is therefore very clear and certain, that an equivalent in land, given to the tithe owner, is in all cases, for the benefit of all parties interested, and an object of public utility.
Experience has already proved, that no evil, or inconvenience can arise, from giving land to the rector in lieu of tithes. In the vale of Belvoir, the experiment has been made over and over again, to the mutual satisfaction of all persons interested. The rectory of Bottesford, upon the enclosure, being commuted for in land, now is worth upwards of £900 per annum, in landed estate. I understand that the tithes of many of the old enclosed parishes, as well as of some of the few remaining common fields of this county, are in the hands of lay impropriators. The vicarial tithes are in many cases compounded for by a modus or rent-charge in money, which is generally under real value, having been fixed in former times, and not since altered. Where tithe is collected in kind, Mr. Marshall states the custom of this district to be, to take every tenth sheaf, where the titheman sets them up ; but only every eleventh if set up by the occupier. The payment of tithes in kind, has certainly a proportionably similar effect upon cultivation, to what paying rents in kind would have, which latter would no doubt check and stagnate all improvement ; and by analogy, the former has that tendency so far as it goes : it is therefore much to be wished, that the business was settled by a commutation, both in regard to the public interest, as for the accommodation of the parties interested.