310 Farm Prize Competition, 1911. 



Great attention is paid to keep the cows in perfect health. 

 Mr. Rackham believes in the open air life as far as the climate 

 will permit, and when it is necessary to have the cows indoors 

 the houses are as well ventilated as possible, without putting 

 the animals in draughts. The milk from each cow is weighed 

 every milking, and a record kept. Three or four of them have 

 given over 1,200 gallons in the year, the average yield of the 

 herd being over 750 gallons for the year. The poor milkers 

 are sold fat, excepting those which would make more money 

 freshly calved, which are so sold. During early summer the 

 cows live entirely on the pastures. When this becomes 

 deficient, lucerne or vetches are thrown out on to the pastures, 

 and dry food given. Early turnips, maize and cabbages follow 

 on as extra food on the pastures. The cows are housed for the 

 night at the end of October, but continue out all day until bad 

 weather sets in, when they go out for 1^ hours for exercise and 

 water. 



The sheep seen consisted of 100 half-bred Suffolk cross 

 Cotswold lambs, which are bought in early in July, to follow 

 the cows on the '' Ollands." When this feed gets short, the 

 sheep have cabbages and turnips, with 1 lb. linseed cake and a 

 1^ lb. pollard daily. They are sold fat in November. 



At some off premises on the farm 120 pigs are kept fattening 

 the greater part of the year. They are bought in at about 21. 

 each and sold as baconers. The pigs seen were mostly Large 

 White Yorkshires and a few Berkshires. Their food consisted 

 of a mixture of three parts foreign barley, one part gram, one 

 part middlings, and one part " Uveco." 



The standing wages for labourers are 13s. a week, but as 

 most work is put out as piece-work they earn considerably 

 more. For harvest the men receive '61. 15s., and usually finish 

 in three weeks. The cowmen have four shillings a week in 

 addition with calf money at the rate of 6rf. to the head cowman 

 and 6(i. to the man who takes the cow to milk for every calf a 

 week old, which includes any extra time they may work. 

 Overtime is paid at the rate of 3c?. per hour, and 6d. per day 

 for beer is given when in the hay. There are on the farm ten 

 good cottages with large gardens, which are let to the men at 

 from Is. 6f/. to 2s. per week, Mr. Rackham paying the rates. 

 Labour here costs about 45s. an acre, purchased foods 800?. per 

 annum, and artificial maniires 120Z. 



The buildings are very compact and suitable for the purpose 

 for which they are used. The cowhouses are light and airy, 

 being quite model ones, paved with grooved Staffordshire 

 bricks and concrete. All the outside yards are paved with 

 the latter. The mangers are also of concrete, and water is 

 laid on to them, as it is also for cleaning purposes. The 



