588 Report on the Farm-Prize Competition of 1874. 



having been woodland, and reclaimed some eight or ten years 

 ago. The farm is well laid out in fields of from 15 to 30 acres, 

 the quicks over nearly the whole of it being newly planted. It 

 is held on a yearly tenancy, five per cent being paid for all 

 the draining done by the landlord subsequent to the taking of 

 the farm. 



Mr. Lilley adopts the four-course system, viz. : — Roots ; 

 Seeds, or Beans and Peas ; Barley ; Wheat. 



The management for root crops is very liberal ; immediately 

 after harvest, from 12 to 14 good cartloads of farmyard manure 

 are spread upon the stubbles ; the land is then worked twice 

 with the steam cultivator and left in the rough state all winter. 

 In the spring, as soon as the land will work, 3^ cwt. of salt per 

 acre is sown broadcast and scuffled in, and before the mangolds 

 or turnips are drilled, 3 cwt. per acre of I.awes' turnip or 

 mangold manure is sown, and the land again scuffled ; in 

 addition to this, 3 cwt. of the manure for mangolds and 3^ cwt. 

 for turnips is mixed with dry mould and drilled with the seed. 

 There was a good plant this year of mangold and turnips, which 

 since the late genial rains have gone on well. 



Mr. Lilley has occasionally sown rabi, but does not like it ; 

 he thinks that it draws the land too much, and is therefore 

 detrimental to the following crop. 



When we last visited the farm, there was a good horse-hoe at 

 work in the turnips, of Mr. Lilley's own invention, and made by 

 the smith on the farm. It has been found so effective that similar 

 hoes are now manufactured by Messrs. Howard, of Bedford. 



About 8 pecks per acre of barley and from 6 to 7 pecks of 

 wheat is the quantity usually sown. The crops this year are 

 very good, and the yield of other years must also have been 

 excellent ; the average of the last three being for wheat 4 quarters, 

 barley 6 quarters, oats 7 quarters, and beans 4J quarters. Part 

 of the beans are winter and part spring sown. 



The following mixture of small seeds is used, viz., 12 lbs. red 

 clover, 2 lbs. white clover, 2 lbs. trefoil, and 1^ gallon of Pacey 

 rye-grass. 



Mr. Lilley's farm is not naturally well adapted for breeding 

 purposes, the grass land being of poor quality ; but he has a very 

 good flock of Grey Cotswolds : 144 ewes were put to the ram 

 last year, and about 60 rams are sold annually at Bedford, at 

 from 8 or 10 guineas each. They are very useful, and being 

 kept in a natural state, pay well at this price. The remainder 

 of the tegs, with the exception of the ewes reserved for breeding, 

 are sold to the butcher. 



The cattle have all been bred on the farm, and consisted in 



