38 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
( July 11, 1878, 
taking the first prize, and Mr. F. R. Moore the second prize,” 
although Mr. Morrison was an exhibitor in the class, and we 
thought that Mr. Coles’s ram was a splendid animal in every 
respect, whether of colour of countenance, wool, or completeness 
of outline, and particularly we noticed the short full neck. 
Class 3, For the best pen of five shearling ewes.—This was to 
our mind the most interesting and the most important class. 
The first prize, taken by Mr. J. Read of Hornington, Salisbury, 
was awarded to a pen of splendid ewes of great size, immense 
length, excellent colour and matching countenance, short good 
wool, not overfat but full of flesh ; in fact we could only find one 
fault, that of being long and thin in the neck, and we thought 
how difficult it would be to correct this defect without Mr. 
Humphrey’s stock was available in all its beauty and purity, it 
being so easy to correct one defect and establish another in the 
act of doing so. The second prize, given to Mr. Moore, we cannot 
object to, because they were certainly better than the commended 
pen belonging to Mr. T. C. Saunders of Watercombe, Dorset, who 
has been so successful on various occasions previously, but we 
thought that his sheep in this and other classes were not fed up 
to the mark, or perhaps he may be reserving his best fed animals 
for the Royal Society’s Meeting at Bnstol. We cannot, however, 
refrain from noticing the loose wool of the second-prize ewes 
which we have noticed in this stock at former meetings. 
Class 4, For the best five shearling ewes never to have been 
separated from the flock till one month before the day of exhi- 
bition.—This is indeed an important contest, because a breeder 
may select the very choicest animals, separate them from his 
flock, and feed them at a heavy cost, but here we have only selec- 
tions from the flock as they are, in all their native character and 
condition. Mr. James Read is here-again to the front with very 
choice animals, having no defect except that of the neck as stated 
in the former class ; and also commended for another pen. 
Class 5, For the best ram lamb.—First prize to Mr. Morrison, an 
exceedingly fine lamb, much better in our idea than the same 
exhibitor’s animal in class 1; second prize to Mr. A. Budd, Quid- 
hampton, for a lamb of really good style, but not fed up to the 
point to bring out its merits in full. The third prize and two 
commendations were given to capital stock, which tended to 
maintain the advantage of continuing prizes for ram lambs. 
Class 6, For the best five ram lambs.—First prize to Mr. Morri- 
son. These rams were a splendid lot, well worth the attention 
of breeders as contradistingnished from some other flocks, 
although they may have descended from the stock of the late 
Mr. Humphrey. Second prize to Mr. Bennett of Chilmark, Salis- 
bury ; third prize to Mr. F.R. Moore. Both these are very credit- 
able pens of animals, but the wool may be improved in both cases. 
Class 7.—First prize, for five ewe lambs, given to Mr. A. Budd; 
a fine lot, of good style and constitution but rather thin in the 
neck, yet of great sizeand weight. Second prize to Mr. Barton; a 
good pen of lambs, wool not like we wish to see it, colour of face 
unexceptionable, necks short, and the head well set on. Taking 
this breed altogether they may answer well for root-feeding on 
the home farm, but certainly not on the pasture and park lands. 
South Downs.—There were three classes (8, 9, and 10), and the 
exhibits were no improvement upon former shows ; yet the animals 
exhibited were highly creditable to the breeders, especially the 
shearling ewes shown by Major-General Fitzwigram, Bart., of 
Leigh Park, Havant, which were capital specimens of the breed, 
and well adapted for furnishing mutton of the highest quality to 
the owners of home farms generally in the southern and south- 
eastern counties. 
Oxford Downs.—These are the most important cross-bred 
animals—that is to say, of recent introduction ; and although in+ 
the western districts of the kingdom the Shropshire Downs may 
be better for that soil and climate, yet the Oxford Downs in the | 
midland counties are the most valuable of the black-faced stock 
and are much esteemed by the originators of the cross derived 
from the Cotswold and Hampshire. There are two classes of this 
breed exhibited. and they contain very large animals of excellent 
quality and yielding heavy fleeces of valuable wool, especially the 
shearling ewes, the first prize in each class being taken by Mr. 
Adams of Pidwell, Farringdon. These ewes are stock of great } 
merit, and we think far superior to the shearling rams ; they are | 
so matching for colour of face, size, and quality of wool, which we | 
have never seen surpassed as Oxford Downs. The second prize | 
for shearling ewes is taken by Mr. Wallis, an old nameas exhibitor | 
in former seasons, but his stock on this occasion is anything but | 
matching ; the difference in the wool is yery much against them, 
although they are heavy well-bred stock. | 
Long-woolled Sheep.—Class 14, for shearling rams. This was 
a grand class. The first-prize animal, belonging to Mr. R. Swan- 
wick, is a gigantic specimen of the Cotswold breed, with beautiful 
and abundant wool, and flesh of excellent quality for this sort of 
sheep. Messrs. Gillett’s second-prize sheep is but little behind 
the first-prize in merit. 
Class 15, Rams of any age.—Mr. R. Swanwick is again to the 
fore with a magnificent sheep of extraordinary weight for age. 
Second prize goes to Mr. Raynbird of Basingstoke for a grand | 
animal, and thereby being placed before the Messrs, Gillett, : 
Class 16, The best shearling ewes.—Messrs. Gillett take this 
prize with an admirable pen of ewes and worthy of their former 
fame. We, however, should like to see them with darker grey 
faces, as these sheep are now so much used for crossing with the 
Hampshire and other down breeds. This matter is of some im- 
portance, and by careful attention it may be obtained without 
depreciation of the breed in other respects. We have extended 
our remarks upon the long-woolled sheep desiring to callattention * 
to the long-woolled breeds generally, including not only Cotswolds 
but Leicesters and Lincolns. Each of them, being stock of a quiet 
habit of feeding, are admirably adapted to graze with the orna- 
mental cattle usually kept in the parks and home pastures of 
landed proprietors. 
(To be continued.) 
WORK ON THE HOME FARM. 
Horse Labour.—The mangold should now be horse-hoed the last 
time where early sown, but the season for drilling was so much 
delayed by wet weather in May and June that a large portion of 
the crop is now only being horse-hoed the first time. The early- 
sown Swedes may now be horse-hoed, also the cabbages and 
carrots. It is rather early for setting-out or hand-hoeing the 
carrots ; we prefer to hand-pull them where sufficient labour can 
be found, as the young-pulled plants furnish good food for stock. 
The horses are employed cultivating for turnips, and where there 
is any couch grass, instead of whole ploughing, we prefer to rafter 
or half plough. then scarify across the rafter two or three times ; 
this will keep the grass at top, which can be then more readily 
separated from the land in the act of rolling, harrowing, &c. The 
morning part of the day may be occupied by turnip tillage, the 
afternoon by hay-carting and stacking of the meadow or pasture 
produce. The horses may now, where the land has been cleared 
of the hay, be employed by carting dung and earthy composts on 
to the pasture ; and if the compost has been properly treated by 
turning and mixing this is the best time to dress the pastures, and 
a few days after the manure is spread it should be chain-harrowed, 
in order that it may be worked into the land. so that the grass 
may be immediately benefited by the dressing. The odd horse is 
stili constantly employed in carting materials for feeding the 
horses, the fatting cattle, the pigs, and the shepherd will also 
require hurdles removed on changing the pasiurage or in the feed- 
ing-off green crops, such as vetches. 
Hand Labour will now consist of hoeing and setting-out mangold, 
Swedes, &c. Trimming the hedges, too, will be going on when 
wet weather stops the hoeing, and it is important that the quick- 
set fences should be trimmed early before the shoots get hard, 
because if it is deferred until after the harvest we have found the 
hard points of the quick injure the feet of the sheep, and when 
these points enter the bottom of the foot it is a serious matter for 
sheep, as they often suffer and go lame for a long time. 
Farm labourers are more scarce than they used to be, and are 
more difficult to manage, requiring more pay and doing less work 
than formerly ; it is therefore an important arrangement to have 
as much of the work of the home farm done by the piece, such as 
hoeing at per acre, hedge-trimming at perscorerods, &c. Thatchine 
of ricks is more difficult than ever to get done at the time required, 
as thatchers are sort of journeymen going about here and there, 
and, as they are required, from farm to farm. It is, however, best 
to haye a man who can thatch as a constant workman on the 
farm ; this is easily done, or used to be. We have for many years 
put some of the most willing and industrious men to thatch the 
ricks. At first-we haye known them say they could not doit; 
as, however, thatchers receive good pay we have found that the 
prospect of extra wages has induced them to learn the work, and 
for a series of years we have instructed a number of young men, 
or at least put them to this work, and they have in various 
| instances become excellent rick-builders, thatchers, &c. 
There is, however, unfortunately, less disposition on the part of 
the labourer to remain in constant work on a farm than there 
ever was before, and it is this roaming disposition and desire for 
change which makes the labour question so difficult. We there- 
fore, in order to provide a sufficiency of men on the home farm, 
advise that enough cottages should be built to locate the men, 
and unless this is done serious impediments will occur in the 
labour of the farm,and at the most importanttime. The labourers, 
if possible, should be selected as well-conducted men with in- 
dustrious wives and families, so that women’s and boys’ labour 
may be available on the farm. If this matter is neglected, and 
no women or boys are ready for work on the home farm, where 
decency and the tidy appearance of everything about the premises 
is so important, it is almost impossible that it can be effected 
unless the necessary work be done by men at a heavy cost, and 
under such circumstances we haye found in home-farm manage- 
| ment it is impossible to show a profitable and economical account. 
MANAGEMENT OF YOUNG POULTRY IN SUMMER. 
WE have tried through the various seasons to follow the growth 
of young poultry, and to point ont the special difficulties or in- 
firmities to be guarded against in each stage, It is often thought 
