Report on the Farm-Prize Competition, 1878. 
9 
pairs ; the}- have good gardens, beautifully kept, and are let at 
rents varying from 3/. lO*. to hi. per year, of course paying, in a 
money point of view, a very small interest on the outlay to the 
spirited owner of the property, but who, we trust, reaps his reward 
in the gratitude of his tenants and in constantly seeing one of 
the prettiest villages in the country close to his mansion. 
Mr. Arkell expends in labour about 24s. per acre in an average 
of years, paying his labourers weekly wages varying from V6s. 
to 15s. per week ; while the carters and other weekly men get 
from 15s. to 18s. per week, with cottages rent-free ; women are 
paid lOf/. per day in winter, and Is. per day in summer. No 
beer or cider is allowed to the men except during the corn and 
hay harvest, and then 1 gallon per day each. 
Mr. Arkell spends a large sum annually on food for stock, 
equal, in fact, to the amount of his rent, but he uses scarcely 
any purchased manures. 
Cattle. — At the date of our first visit the cattle consisted of 16 
working oxen (somewhat of a novelty in these days), 8 dairy cows, 
2 fatting cows, 5 three-year-old heifers in-calf, 4 fatting heifers, 
7 two-year-old heifers in-calf, 5 two-year-old heifers, 25 yearlings, 
11 yearling bulls, 2 older bulls, and 7 weaning-calves ; at our 
second visit, the fatting cattle had been sold, and the weaning- 
calves increased in number to 23. 
The cattle are a very useful lot of Shorthorns ; the 2 old bulls 
are used with the working oxen on the farm. 
Mr. Arkell sells bull calves at Birmingham and elsewhere, 
hence the number of young bulls on hand ; he exhibits occasion- 
ally at local Shows, and evidently intends endeavouring to make 
himself a name in the Shorthorn world. 
Sheep. — The flock of Oxford Downs in January consisted of 
276 breeding-ewes, 100 ewe tegs, 4 rams, and 153 fatting sheep. 
At the date of our second visit we found 182 breeding-ewes, 97 
ewe tegs, 296 lambs and 7 fatting sheep. 
Some of the ewe tegs had lambs by their sides, and although 
the lambs were young, they with their mothers were looking 
healthy and well. Mr. Arkell sells about 50 ram lambs yearly, 
at an average price of 5/. each. 
This flock has been carefully selected, and is certainly well 
managed. The plan adopted for feeding the sheep is to fold 
them on the arable and pasture land all the year round. 
Swine. — Only a small number are kept, and these principally 
for breeding purposes. The sows are a useful lot. 
About 24/. per annum is realised from the sale of poultry. 
The farm is worked by 12 horses, the 16 oxen and the 2 bulls. 
There are 2 colts bred on the farm and 2 nag horses kept. The 
horses are a fair class of agricultural animals. 
