Report of the Farm-Prize Competition o/'lSSG. 621 
weekly from his piggeries, and the floors are well swilled with 
water, and the walls washed down and so kept clean and 
sweet. 
Weather permitting, the pigs have a daily run on grass in a 
paddock adjoining the buildings. At our last visit he had in 
stock : — 
7 sows, 
1 boar, 
1 fattening pig, 
23 stores, 
32 
No books were presented to us, and therefore we could not 
verify on which side of the farm account the balance pre- 
ponderated ; but taking into consideration the good crops, the 
satisfactory management of live-stock of all descriptions, to- 
gether with the thrifty, careful husbandry which appeared in 
every branch, and evidenced by the moderate outgoings for 
labour, manure, &c., we should, we think, not be very far wide 
of the mark in hazarding an opinion that the receipts had it, 
and very decidedly. 
Farm Servants. — Our enquiries in connection with awarding 
certificates of merit to the servants of the competitors, led 
Mr. Procter to favour us with an idea he has of the practicability 
of establishing a sliding scale of wages, based on the price of 
wheat, which he thinks would be equitable to employers and 
employed, and tend to prevent ill-feeling and strikes, which, 
though less common in the agricultural than the manufacturing 
community, are not unknown in the Eastern Counties. As a 
basis, he assumes that when wheat ranges in price from 125. 6c?. 
to 155. per coomb of 4 bushels, the labourer's wage should be 
lOs. per week ; when from 15s. to 17s. &d. per coomb, the wage 
should be lis. per week ; when from 17s. 6(/. to 20s., the wage 
should be 12s. per week ; and so on up to 30s. per coomb, when 
the wage should be 16s. per week. 
We recommended the Council to grant certificates to two 
men employed by Mr. Procter. One of them, James Groom, 
is a very extraordinary man ; though now in his eighty- 
third year, he is yet able-bodied, does his full share of work, 
and is paid the same wages as other men on the farm, and 
shows temper if he thinks there is any disposition or attempt 
to ease him a little. He has been seventy years on the 
Bexwell Farm, and had certificates from the West Norfolk 
Association in 1856-57-58 for general good character, and for 
