The Locomotivocracy have gone and done the trick,
And England's aristocracy's obliged to cut its stick."

A visit to Middleton, however, will show that on this occasion the tenantry
have no reason either to sigh or weep, and the visit is worth making,
independently of the pleasantness of a change from town to country, because
it affords an opportunity of seeing what can be done with a neglected domain
when it passes into the hands of men of large capital, liberal views, and a
thorough determination that whatever they take in hand shall be done in the
best possible manner.

Messrs. Peto & Betts are managing this estate on the same principles that
they have conducted the undertaking by which, in a very few years, they have
acquired a large fortune and an influential position. Not by avariciously
grasping, and meritlessly grinding all the subordinates whose services they
required; not by squeezing men like oranges, and throwing them away when
squeezed; but by choosing suitable assistants for every task they undertook,
and making those assistants, or advisers, feel that their interests were the
same, that they were prepared to pay liberally for services strenuously
rendered. By this system servants and sub-contractors worked for them with
all the zeal of friends, and by this system the tenantry of Middleton will
attain a degree of comfort and prosperity hitherto unknown, while the estate
they occupy will be largely increased in value.

It is most fortunate that, at a time when so much landed property is passing
into the hands of men of the class of which these gentlemen may be considered
the intellectual leaders, an example has been set, by them, of liberal and
judicious management.

For this reason we do not think these rough notes on Middleton will be
considered a useless digression.

* * * * *

DRAINS AND REPAIRS.--Instead of the ordinary system of bit-by-bit repairs and
instead of arrangements for the tenants to execute drains, as the first step
after the change of proprietorship, a complete survey was made of the defects
and of the value of all the holdings. On this survey the rents were fixed,
with the understanding that while no increase of rent would be imposed on a
good tenant, lazy slovenly farming would be forthwith taxed with an
additional ten per cent.

The landlords have themselves undertaken to execute a complete deep drainage
of the whole property at a cost of 20,000 pounds. For this they cha