lo Feb., 1909.] NJiill Farm Competttion, 1908. 87 



(D) The Best Quality and Serviceable Classes of Stock kept on the 

 Farm; Horses — 20 points, Sheep — 20 points, and Cattle, Pigs, and Poultry 

 — 5 points.— In awarding points for stock, attention has been given not only 

 to quality but also to general utility for farm purposes. 



Horses. — The quality of the horses inspected was throughout of excellent 

 character. The practice of breeding compact, nuggetty horses able 10 cover 

 ground actively appears to me to be an improvement in the right direction. 

 A splendid lot of yearlings and 2-year olds, also g'ood classes of buggy 

 horses and hacks, were exhibited by the competitors. 



Sheep. — The continued high prices ruling for export lambs and wool 

 have been responsible for a good deal of attention being paid by farmers 

 of recent years to this adjunct to the farm. The question which is the most 

 suitable or payable class of sheep to breed is one which the farmer is best 

 able to decide himself. Merinoes appear to be favoured most by com- 

 petitors — Messrs. Sanders, Allen, and Crouch gCiing in solely for this 

 class, while Mr. Dickinson, besides merinoes, has a sprinkling of cross- 

 breds. The whole of the sheep were in good condition, and those of Mr. 

 W. Sanders, including ten fine rams, were of particularly good class. 



C'Ows, Pigs, and Poultry. — Very little attention is given by any of the 

 competitors in this section, the reason no doubt being of minor value. 

 Cows and steers were of mixed quality, mostly shorthorn crossed, the excep- 

 tion being a few pure bred dairy cows belonging to Mr. Sanders. 



(E) The Most Complete Equipment and Class of Implements and Ma- 

 chinery — 20 points. — Machinery and implements play an important part on 

 the farm and labour-saving appliances are always welcomed by farmers. 

 A number of the competitors elect to use strippers while others again prefer 

 harvesters, and something may be said in favour of both, for while the 

 stripper has the additional advantage of saving the blow chaff, the harvester 

 on the other hand can be worked with less labour and more economically. 

 Ploughs, harrows, cultivators, discs, drills, scoops, farm Avaggons, &c., were 

 in good evidence, and those competitors possessing oil or steam engines scored 

 a few points higher than those who w-ere content to use horse-works. In 

 addition to a very complete set of all kinds of implements, Mr. W. Sanders 

 has also installed a complete shearing plant. 



(F) The Best System of Boundary and Suhdivisional Fencing, including 

 Gates and Sheep-yards — 75 points. — Messrs. G. Crouch and R. Dickenson 

 appear to m_e to have the best suhdivisional system, that is to say they have 

 divided their paddocks into suitable blocks that are easily accessible. 

 Fences in all cases were of good serviceable quality. Messrs. Sanders and 

 Crouch have erected no less than 26 and 10 new iron gates respectively 

 since the previous competition. Good sheep yards and a verv conveniently 

 situated sheep dip were a pleasing feature on Mr. Sanders' propertv. 



(G) The Best Kept Orchard and Vegetable Garden — 10 points. — Only 

 one of the competitors (Mr. W. Sanders) had made provision in this respect 

 to any extent, and his fine orchard, containing fruit trees of almost all 

 varieties, entitles him to first place. Mr. Crouch's orchard is on a smaller 

 scale, and Messrs. Dickinson and Allen have their dwellings beautified bv 

 very nice flower gardens. 



(H) The Best Arranged System of Water Storage. Points to be given 

 for Number of Dams and Windmills, Capacity, Location of Catchtnent, 

 Accessibility to Stock and case of Watering — ^5 points. — The greatest 

 number of points in any section has rightly been allotted to water con- 

 servation. The importance of having a large number of dams convenient! v 



