Prize Competition, 1885. 
159 
South America. Mr. Ashburner is also personally serviceable, 
not only frequently as a Judge in the Showyards of home and 
distant Societies, but in every other capacity in which a leading 
agriculturist is expected to act — as Poor-law Guardian, Church- 
warden, &c., &c. ; and we submit that the above notes are not 
only a useful history of persistent continuance in a most service- 
able agricultural career, but quite worthy of a record here. 
Reverting now to the farm — which lies, as we have said, upon 
a hill-side facing west, with hanging woods here and there, and 
general variety of level and of slope — we have to note the advan- 
tages it thus possesses in affording sheltered grazing, good pas- 
ture-lands, easily worked arable land, and useful low-lying mea- 
dows, somewhat scattered one amongst another. The arable 
land is cultivated generally on the four-field course of cropping : 
(1) oats ; (2) green crops, swedes, mangold-wurzel, potatoes, 
and carrots ; followed by (3) wheat, and that by (4) seeds 
and clover, kept down as long as may be desired. There were 
last year 10 acres of wheat ; 21 acres of oats, 13 after grass, and 
8 after turnips ; 3 J acres of mangold-wurzel, and 14 of swedes ; 
3 of potatoes, half an acre of carrots, 15 of one-year clover, and 
16J of two-year clover ; also 39 acres of grass of various ages, 
which might be ploughed. The rent is 408/. a year ; tithes 
and rates come to 40/. a year additional. The manures pur- 
chased annually generally include 2 tons of superphosphate, and 
3 of bone-dust, and perhaps 12/. worth of lime. The labour of 
the farm is done by one cow-man, at 22s. a week ; 2 carters, at 
25/. a year, with board ; one ordinary labourer, at 25/. and 
board ; and one lad, at 10/. a year and his board. A woman also, 
at 16/. a year, with her board, is employed in the house ; and 
there are extra hands during hay-harvest ; two or three for a few 
weeks, at 30s. to 35s. a week at that time with food. The men, 
it may be said, here, and generally in that country, claim 
two weeks' holiday in the year ; and wages vary with the pros- 
perity of the neighbouring Iron Works. Ten years ago they 
rose to 36/. a year and board, and absorbed nearly all the profits 
of the farm. The cost altogether — money, wages, and board — 
amounts to over 300/. a year. 
Turning now more directly to the farm management — the 
stock upon the farm in the spring of last year included 30 cows 
in-calf or milk, with 2 stock bulls; 10 heifers calved in 1883,. 
11 in 1884, 14 in the spring of 1885 ; 2 heifers, bought in-calf, 
9 grazing cows bought ; 5 other heifers, 3 in-calf, and 2 for 
fattening, and 5 young bulls ; total 88. The sheep stock in- 
cluded 23 Shropshire ewes, 22 of which had 35 lambs ; 59 
half-bred ewes, 47 of which had produced 72 lambs ; 42 Herd- 
wick ewes, most of which had still to lamb; 3 tups, 11 half- 
