580 Report on the Farm-Prize Competition of 1874. 



Cattle. — A splendid herd of unpedigreed shorthorns, with 

 plenty of size and substance, is kept for dairy purposes. When 

 we saw them there were 14 cows in milk and 6 in calf. The 

 calves are kept in the winter on hay chaff, with 10 lbs. of 

 boiled corn per day, 13 three-year-old heifers having straw 

 and hay chafi with a little boiled corn, 11 two-year-old heifers, 

 and 22 yearlings fed in the same way, and 14 rearing calves 

 having skimmed milk and hay chaff. The cows in the summer 

 run on the grass land, which adjoins the house, and is of very 

 fair quality, and have an allowance of corn (boiled) daily ; 

 but this year, on the strike breaking out, as there were not 

 men sufficient to look after the stock and do the other necessary 

 work on the farm, the calves, which had been previously 

 weaned, were again put to the cows and turned out with 

 them, while the cows, having more milk than the calves could 

 take, were milked once a day, and the allowance of corn was 

 discontinued ; in fact the whole of the stock were obliged to 

 get their own living. The steers, which were a first-rate lot, 

 are grazed out annually at from two to three years old. 



A very good, pure-bred, shorthorn bull is always kept. The 

 two now on the farm were bred by Mr. Crouch, and others from 

 the herds of Lord Penrhyn and Mr. Majoribanks have been 

 used previously. 



We cannot speak too highly of the character and quality of 

 the whole of this herd, and too much praise cannot be given to 

 Mr. Crouch for the great judgment displayed in bringing them 

 to this state of perfection. 



Sheep. — These, like Mr. Checkley's, are improved Leicesters. 

 The flock contains : 



236 ewes put to the ram, 

 110 he tegs, 

 108 she tegs, 

 14 rams. 



The ewes have roots on the grass a few weeks before lambing, 

 and afterwards a little corn and cake. After weaning, the lambs 

 are run thinly over the grass and clover eddishes, and have a 

 little corn until September, when they are put on to rape or 

 common turnips — the he tegs having then 1 lb. of corn, with 

 clover chaff, and the ewe tegs ^ lb. (with clover chaff) per day, 

 which is continued throughout the winter. The he tegs are 

 clipped and sold in the spring. The barren and culled ewes 

 are sold fat. 



Pigs. — None are bred, but a few are regularly bought, and 

 those not required for home consumption are sold fat. 



Horses. — Twelve very useful working horses are kept ; in the 



