Report on the Farm-Prize Competition of 1874. 573 



Beans. — The land having been ploughed in the winter, is set 

 out with a drill, in rows 2 feet apart, in February, and 2|^ 

 bushels of seed dibbled to the acre at a cost of 3^. \)d. per acre ; 

 they are horse-hoed three or four times and hand-hoed once at 

 35. 6rf. per acre. 



Wheat, after Clover. — The land is ploughed about the beginning 

 of November 3 inches deep, and is, if possible, drilled directly 

 afterwards down the seams, with 5^ pecks of seed to the acre. 

 The bean stubbles, after such couch as there may be has been 

 forked out, are then ploughed and drilled with 4 pecks of seed 

 per acre. 



Wheat, after fallow, is drilled about Christmas, with 4|- pecks 

 of seed per acre. Kinds usually grown are the Essex White and 

 Browick. Average yield for the last three years 5 quarters per 

 acre. 



Cattle. — On the farm in July were : 



44 milch cows. 

 13 in-calf heifers. 

 19 yearling do. 

 26 cow calves. 



3 bull ditto. 



2 bulls. 



The cows, which are a very good lot of unpedigreed short- 

 horns, are kept entirely for dairy purposes, 150 lbs. of butter 

 being made on an average weekly, and sent to the London 

 market ; and wonderfully good it is, unless our palates deceived 

 us. On our first inspection the cows were just dropping their 

 calves, and looked then really a grand lot ; but many of them 

 being first-rate milkers and the pastures bad, they were not quite 

 so full of flesh when last we saw them. Mr. Checkley keeps all 

 the cow calves, which are reared on skimmed milk : the bull 

 calves are sold as they drop, to one man, at three guineas each. 



The cows are kept during the winter on hay and straw chaff, 

 with one quartern of boiled beans and a little cake and bran. In 

 summer they do not usually have any artificial food, but latterly, 

 owing to the scarcity of grass, they have had a little chaff mixed 

 with the bean and maize meal. The two-year-olds and yearlings 

 have in the winter hay and straw chaff, with a little bran, and 

 looked extremely well. 



Mr. Checkley has always kept a good bull. The one used 

 for the last two years, bred by Thomas Game & Son, Broad- 

 more, Gloucester — sire. Royal Benedict — is a dark roan, with 

 plenty of substance and quality ; the calves and yearlings by him 

 are certainly what any breeder may be proud of. 



A white yearling bull, bred by Colonel Loyd Lindsay, and 



