Report on the Farm-Prize Competition of 1886. 607 
success attends Mr. Learner's practice in this matter, which is 
precisely similar to what I well remember seeing on some 
of the best-arranged farms in Northumberland thirtj-five 
years ago. 
The manure is filled into carts, emptied, and spread in the 
ridges by contract, at the rate of 6s. per score of loads. The 
quantity, of seed drilled per acre amounts to from three to four 
pints ; and after horse-hoeing the plants are struck out, singled 
by hand, and twice hand-hoed, at a cost by contract of 10s. per 
acre. This price is higher than we found on any of the other 
farms, the most of which were only once hand-hoed after 
singling, and of this Mr. Learner was aware ; but to use his 
own words, " For this price I expect, and get, my crops left 
perfectly clean, I do." 
In the autumn, part of the crop is taken up and secured in 
clamp — local phraseology, " the hale." Labour for pulling, 
topping, and filling into carts costs 6s. per acre. These hales 
are reserved to draw upon in snow, hard frosts, or ether unto- 
ward weather, otherwise the roots are drawn directly from the 
field to the fold. Those left to winter in the field are partially 
secured from frost in the following manner : — A deep and wide 
furrow by the plough is drawn on each side of a row of swedes 
left standing ; and into each of these furrows, four rows being 
pulled, are packed close, root downwards. The plough is again 
reverted to, and the furrows previously thrown out are turned 
back, and thus the produce of nine ridges are fairly well secured 
in a space of about 3^ feet wide, and at a cost of 3s. 6c?. per 
acre. 
Mr. Learner's experience is, that swedes keep much better 
protected in this way than when piled in the " hale." About 
half the crop is consumed by sheep on the land where grown. 
Mangolds. — The cultivation for this is much the same as for 
swedes ; but the manure, 10 to 12 loads per acre, is spread 
on the land during the winter months and ploughed in. At 
seed time, a proper tilth being obtained, ridges are made in the 
usual way, and the farmyard-manure is supplemented by 4 cwt. 
per acre of rape-cake. Mr. Learner " finds, he does," that his 
land responds better to the touch of rape-cake as a mangold 
manure than any other artificial he has tried. 
The crop is secured in the " hale," and consumed in the yards 
by cattle ; 6s. 6c?. per acre is paid for pulling, filling into carts, 
and piling up at the " hale," and lOfZ. per rood of 7 yards for 
covering the latter with soil. 
Barley follows the root-crop, the land for which is twice 
ploughed ; sowing commences in February, and continues to 
the end of March ; but early sowing is preferred, and a finish 
