146 
Report on the Dairy and Sloch-Farm 
prize for the best herd of dairy cattle. Messrs. E. C. Tisdall^ 
Williams, Bell, and Algernon Fawkes, with whom the decision 
rested, reported that in respect of (1) selection of cows, (2} 
average yield of milk, (3) greatest yield of milk on the day of 
examination, (4) least number of acres per cow, and (5) greatest 
percentages of fat and of total solids in the mixed milk of the 
herd, Mr. Hothersall's herd was far superior to all its rivals in 
the competition. Our own notes of it, as lot after lot were 
inspected, whether in shippon or in field, are sprinkled over with 
such words as " beauties," " splendid cattle," " extraordinarily 
fine." 
The receipts from the farm are mainly for milk sold morning 
and evening in Preston, taken there either by one of the farm 
lads, or by the eldest son of the tenant, now 10 or 11 years old. 
It is supplied generally to private customers, only to a little 
extent to one dealer. The boy receives the value of his first 
day's sale of milk to any new customer, whatever the amount of 
it may be, this being his fee for an extension of the business, 
so that he is always on the look out. The milk costs 3c?. a 
quart delivered at the door, or 4c?. for the strippings. The 
amount sold varies from 100 to 120 gallons a day, from 46 
to 52 cows ; 485 gallons was the daily sale in July last at Zd. 
a quart, and 9 gallons at 4rf. ; 5 gallons were retained. Most 
of the evening's milk is retained and skimmed for butter, 
36 gallons of skim-milk being sold at 2c?. a quart. About 
120 lbs. of butter a week are thus made, and sold at Is. 2c?.. 
to Is. 10c?. per lb. according to the season. The sales for milk 
and butter during the previous year amounted to 1808/. 6s., 
equal to 36Z. 18s. Id. per cow, over 49. The other sales of the 
year included 17 cows, 7 fat cattle, and 44 calves, realising 
661Z. 10s. Nineteen cows and heifers had been boug^it for 
495Z. 9s., and 7 bullocks for 53/. 4s. Thirteen horses had been 
sold for 818/. 15s., 12 having been bought for 529/. 10s. Sheep 
and lambs had been sold for 161/. 8s. — 73 sheep having been 
bought for 83/. 7s. A few pigs are also kept, and a sufficient 
quantity of poultry, but neither of these is an important item. 
Such a large stock is of course maintained only by large 
purchases of food : no less than 645/. was spent last year, or 
6/. 13s. per acre. It included the following items : linseed- 
cake, 3 tons 12 cwt., 32/. 4s. 6c?.; cotton-cake, 6 tons 2 cwt., 
48/. lis Ad.; "sharps," 37 packs (240 lbs.), 27/. 15s.'; wheat, 10 
packs, 8/. 5s. ; bran, 19 packs, 10/. 9s. ; oats and barley, 79' 
bushels, 13/. 16s. 6c/. ; beans, 28 packs, 24/. 10s. ; Indian corn, 
230 packs, 157/. 17s. 8c/.; oatmeal, 76 packs, 100/. 19.s-. ; rice meal, 
153 packs, 74/. 2s.; brewers' grains, 3515 bushels, 117/. 8s.; 
hay and straw, 6 tons, 14/. ; swedes and mangolds, 63^ tons, 
