Report on the Farm-Prize Competition of 1886. 579 
farming of the two counties is written, this will form a subject 
of interesting enquiry. 
When Arthur Young wrote, a considerable portion of the 
county, on the strong loam in its centre, was chiefly devoted to 
<lairy purposes. 
He instances a tract of 20 by 12 miles, bounded by the 
parishes of Coddenham, Otley, Lethringham, Hacheston, Bruis- 
yard, Cookly, Metfield, Wingfield, Brandeston, Westrop, 
Wynerston, Greeting, and again to Coddenham, with all the 
places within. This locality was the head-quarters of the 
Suffolk cows, which had then been long celebrated as great milk 
givers, to an extent which he believed much exceeded that given 
by any other breed in the island — quantity of food, and size of 
animal, taken into account. 
I have already noticed this breed, in dealing with Norfolk, 
as being the origin whence sprung the present Red Polled 
Cattle. They were then generally, but not universally, polled ; 
and the calves showing a tendency to horn were not reared, but 
disposed of when young. The colour at that time was not 
uniformly red. Young says, " the best milkers I have known 
have been either red, brindle, or cream colour." 
As to milk, " there is," he says, " hardly a dairy in the dis- 
trict that does not contain cows which give in height of season 
8 gallons of milk per day, and 6 are common among many for 
a large part of the season. For two or three months a whole 
dairy will — for all that give milk at all — average 5 gallons a 
day, whichybr cows of this size is very considerable." 
Another peculiar circumstance in the management of the 
cows which he mentions, is, " that of tying them up in the 
fields, without house, shed, or roof to cover them. With rails 
and stakes they form a rough manger ; and the cows are tied to 
posts about 3 feet from each ; at their heads is a screen of 
laggots. Litter is given them regularly, and the dung piled up 
ia a wall behind." 
The larger proportion of the grass on this heavy land has 
been broken up, and as a consequence both cow and dairy have 
very generally disappeared. 
The Suffolk breed of horses in Young's time were, he says, no 
less celebrated than the cows. The best sort was to be seen in 
the "Sandlings," south of Woodbridge and Orford. About 
forty years before Young's time, a practice prevailed of testing 
the strength and endurance of these horses by drawing team 
against team for large sums of money. Mr. May, of Ramsholt- 
dock, was said to have drawn 15 horses for 1500 guineas. Con- 
sidering the difference in value of money between now and then, 
this put racing matches of the present day in the shade. 
