36 Report on the Farm-Prize Competition, 1878. 
hours with their servants, thus becoming well acquainted with each 
other's dispositions and requirements, maj" probabh" account for 
the retainment ol the good feeling that once existed between the 
majority of the farmers in this country and their workpeople. 
Be this as it may, we note the fact that the servants we saw 
evidently take much greater interest in their work than is 
shown by the generality of farm labourers. We were also much 
pleased at the keenness shown by the majority of the com- 
petitors in placing before us all the points which they considered 
favourable in their respective cases, and some were really 
amusing in their anxiety, lest some special pet point of theirs 
should escape our observation. 
This spirit of emulation we deem a desirable thing to en- 
courage, and we are of opinion that, at all events as regards 
the dairy farms, the plan of giving prizes for the best-managed 
farms is productive of much good. 
We were not favoured by the elements during any one of our 
visits : the first two were made in rain and snow, compelling the 
use of umbrellas and macintoshes, and the wading through mud 
and slush much more frequently than we found agreeable. We 
nevertheless enjoyed ourselves ; and although we started very 
early every morning, and did not get back to our ever-changing 
hotels until late at night, being heartily tired at the end of each 
day, we retain most pleasing reminiscences of pleasant days 
spent in travelling together through many beautiful parts of 
some of our best English scenery, receiving everywhere from the 
farmers, their families, and all connected with them, the greatest 
possible courtesy, hospitality, and kindness. 
We have also to thank the competitors for the frank way in 
which they answered our questions, and placed the documents 
we required at our disposal ; and we hope we have obtained 
personally much useful knowledge from all we saw and heard 
during our surveys. 
(Signed) Fbederic Beai!D. 
Thomas F. Jackson. 
Thomas Willis, Junr. 
