10 Report on the Farm-Prize Competition, 1878. 
Mr. Arkell manages the light portion of his farm on the four- 
course system, the heavy land on a double four-course, i.e., clover 
only once in 8 years, substituting for it vetches and fallows. 
About 130 acres of land has been laid down to grass since 
1870, the intention being to add to the extent of the park. The 
soil seems suitable for grass, and although it is perhaps some of 
the best land on the farm, it will, we think, be as profitable to the 
tenant as if it were under cultivation as arable land. 
At our second visit we found the corn crops suffering very 
much from the excessive wet ; weeds were rather more plentiful 
than we covdd have wished, and the fallows were in a backward 
state ; but, taking the farm as a whole, and considering the ex- 
ceptionally wet month that had preceded our visit, there was no 
very great fault to be found. 
Air. Arkell produces a large quantity of beef and mutton, 
the returns from the sale of animal food being nearly equal to 
that of the corn sold. The corn is for the most part drilled, 
wheat 6^ to 8J inch intervals between the rows, at the rate of 
from 6 to 8 pecks per acre. Barley and oats are drilled at 6^ to 
7^ inches between the rows, and at the rate of from 2^ bushels 
to 3 bushels per acre. Beans, when in wide rows 22J inches, 
and when in narrow rows, 8 inches apart, and at the rate of 
3 bushels per acre. 
The mixtures sown for seeds are, clover, 10 lbs., hop clover, 
6 lbs. ; and for mixed seeds, 4 lbs. red clover, 4 lbs. cow grass, 
4 lbs. hop clover, and ^ bushel of rye-grass. 
At our last visit we found the corn crops improved, but not 
to so great an extent as we could have wished. One field of 
winter oats was a great crop, and the wheat on the whole promised 
well. The barley crop was not looking right, and could not by 
any possibility be a large one. Beans and peas were good, but 
showed too many weeds. Alangolds and swedes were a good 
plant, the latter quite fit to set out. On the whole, this farm 
shows evidence of previous good management, but the wet 
spring had been too much for the crops and for the usual staff 
of labourers to keep them clean. 
Mr. Arkell had got together 120 acres of meadow and artificial 
grasses — a great crop in 7 stacks — in capital order; it had all been 
mowed by scythe, at a cost of from 3s. to 5s. p^r acre, and an 
elevator had been used to put it on the stacks. 
Although we saw some things to find fault about on this farm, 
we nevertheless saw much more to commend, and, taking into 
account our instructions and the merit shown in many points, 
we had the pleasure of awarding the Second Prize in Class 1 to 
Mr. Arkell. 
