Report on the Farm-Prize Competition oflSSQ. 609 
winter, and the soil is carted to form bottoms for manure-heaps ; 
these are subsequently applied for wheat, but in the interim 
a crop of potatoes is grown on them, so that even in this small 
matter profit is not lost sight of. 
Oats, when grown, follow wheat. The 7 acres grown this 
year were manured as to one moiety with Yarmouth manure, 
and the other with farmyard-dung, 5 loads, 6 stones of nitrate of 
soda, and 1 cwt. of superphosphate per acre. The variety is Black 
Tartary. The seed, 5 bushels per acre, is sown at twice, the 
second sowing being drilled at right angles across the first. 
Mr. Learner thinks he gets a larger produce from this than from 
sowing all at once. The seed being spread equally over a 
larger surface, the plants can better utilise what is in the soil, 
than when thickly clustered at wider intervals at one sowing. 
If this reasoning is sound, it would apply to the wheat and 
barley crops equally with oats ; but no hoeing, either hand or 
horse, can be done to crops thus drilled. 
Anyhow, the piece of oats we saw was certainly most excel- 
lent ; the straw, shortened by the drought, would probably stand, 
and the yield of grain prove very large. 
Harvesting is let to his labourers, 12 in number, with 3 or 
4 lads to assist. ]Mr. Learner provides horses and reaping- 
machines, and they find all the labour, to cut, bind, stook, 
carry, stack, and thatch the whole of the crops, receiving 6Z. per 
man for the job. Cutting proceeds st the rate of from 16 to 17 
acres per day, three relays of horses being used ; and with 
average weather the whole is completed in about fifteen days. 
The cost per acre, exclusive of horses and machine, averages 
12s. Qd. 
Tlireshing. — This is done by contract ; the machine-owner 
providing engine and threshing-machine with two attendants, 
for which he is allowed bs. per day in lieu of board, and is 
paid at the rate of 7s. per 20 coombs threshed ; 120 coombs 
is considered a fair day's work. Hirer provides other necessary 
labour to take away straw, &c. 
Working Staff consists of 1 yardman, 3 teamsmen, 6 ordinary 
labourers, 2 boys, 1 groom ; with extra for harvest, 2 men and 2 
or 3 boys. The labour bill for 1885, which may be taken as an 
average year, amounted to 27s. 2d. per acre. 
Live Stock. 
Cattle. — None are bred on the farm, but about 150 are annu- 
ally bought and fattened on it. These are a good class of large- 
framed Shorthorn bullocks, attaining when fat to weights of from 
65 to 80 stones of 14 lbs. The weight of beef produced on the 
