Report on the Farm-Prize Competition of 1874. 583 



The Biddenliam farm, two miles from Bedford, where Mr. 

 Howard resides, is the property of T. R. Wingfield, Esq., Bar- 

 rington Park, Oxon, and consists of 229 acres of arable and 80 

 of grass land ; the Bromham farm, the property of Miss Rice 

 Trevor, is situated about two miles from the latter and four from 

 Bedford, and contains 220 acres of arable and 220 acres of grass 

 land. The Priory and Biddenham farms are worked together, 

 all the horses employed being kept at the latter place. Bidden- 

 ham and Bromham are two most picturesque villages still 

 retaining the old village greens, on which happy groups of 

 children were congregated and playing as we passed. Many of 

 the cottages are old-fashioned, but all are in good repair, and, 

 with their well-kept gardens, gave a general aspect of comfort 

 and happiness to the whole village. 



Mr. Howard's farm-buildings at Biddenham, which were 

 formerly built of wood, were burnt down about three years ago, 

 and have since been rebuilt in a very substantial and complete 

 manner : they are furnished with every convenience for threshing, 

 grinding, «Scc. A portable engine and threshing-machine are 

 used, but are so arranged that the threshing can be carried on 

 under cover. The house is now being repaired and enlarged, 

 Mr. Howard at present residing in Bedford. 



The soil at Biddenham is light loam, on a gravelly subsoil, 

 and consequently easily affected by dry weather ; this year, 

 owing to the long drought, the crops have suffered considerably. 

 When first we saw them they promised well, and their altered 

 appearance on our last inspection could not be attributed to 

 mismanagement. 



The soil on the Priory farm is of a mixed character, part being 

 light, and a portion comparatively strong clay. One field, which 

 is this year fallow and sown with turnips and rabi, has been 

 twice drained by Mr. Howard, the landlord finding tiles. 



The four-course system is adopted on the Biddenham and 

 Bromham farms ; but as the cropping is rather different on the 

 latter farm, it will perhaps be better to give it a separate descrip- 

 tion. On the Priory farm the rotation is as follows : — Fallow 

 (all sown with a green crop) ; Wheat ; Barley ; Seeds ; Wheat. 



Falloio. — On the stronger portion of the farm the land is forked, 

 ploughed, or steam cultivated in the autumn, in preparation for 

 roots ; in the spring, the scuffler is run through once or twice to 

 start the annuals, prior to sowing the seed, which is drilled with 

 artificial manure alone. On the light land it is ploughed in the 

 autumn and allowed to remain in the furrow until the time 

 for sowing the roots in the spring, when the furrow is turned 

 back and afterwards scuffled ; farmyard manure, at the rate 

 of 16 loads per acre, with an occasional dressing of salt, is 



