Report on the Farm-Prize Competition of 1874. 585 



nience to the tenant in steam-cultivation. This, however, is a 

 question for the landlord's consideration. 



The fences on the grass land are very bad. Mr. Howard has, 

 at considerable expense, remedied this evil by putting up oak 

 posts, with iron rope, round most of the grazing fields. The 

 farm formerly suffered from an inadequate supply of water : to 

 obviate this a large reservoir has been made, which, notwith- 

 standing the drought, has been filled from the new drains. 



The grass land is good, and (with the assistance of a little 

 oilcake) is capable of feeding some good steers. One piece of 

 land has been much improved by the application of soil and 

 farmyard manure. 



The system of cropping, as I mentioned before, is the four- 

 course, viz : — Fallow ; Barley ; half Seeds, half Beans ; Wheat. 



On the light-land portion of the farm one-fourth is sown with 

 roots, as in the ordinary four-course shift ; on the heavy land, 

 one-fourth of the fallow is sown with roots and three-fourths with 

 rye-grass, trefoil, and tares. The rye-grass and trefoil, which are 

 sown in the wheat in the previous spring, and the tares in the 

 autumn, after the land has been manured and ploughed, are 

 eaten off in the spring and summer by sheep, and when finished 

 the land is broken up by the steam-cultivator and allowed to 

 remain in the rough state until the following spring, when it 

 is sown with barley. This system seemed to answer very well. 



After barley, half the shift is sown down with clover and half 

 Avith beans, farmyard manure being applied for the latter crop. 



The average yield of corn on this farm for the last four years 

 is 4^ quarters of wheat and G quarters of barley. 



Stock. — Mr. Howard has for several years been well known as 

 a successful breeder of Shorthorns and Oxford Down sheep, the 

 former of which were sold off three years ago. He is now forming 

 another herd, but has at present only a small number. Since the 

 sale a few calves have been reared, nine milch cows only being 

 kept. There is a large amount of good grazing land on the 

 Bromham farm, aYid a considerable number of steers are bought 

 every autumn for wintering and grazing the following year. la 

 February the stock consisted of 120 head, viz. : — 



48 three-year-old shorthorn steers. 



5 fat ditto. 

 20 Welsh runts. 



9 fat ditto. 

 16 shorthorn steers, two years old and under. 



9 cows. 

 12 calves. 



1 bull, of the Fawsley tribe. 



