648 Report on the Farm-Prize Competition of 1886. 
A most liberal use of feeding-stuffs is indulged in, the 
purchased cakes and corn consumed on the holding amounting 
in 1885 to 409/. 2s. 3d. in value ; and in addition 155 coombs 
of peas and beans, and 2G coombs of barley, grown on the farm, 
also went into consumption, the estimated value of which is 
140Z., the two together making 551Z. 2s. 3d., equal to an 
expenditure of 65s. an acre over the whole farm. Owing to 
moving the stock from farm to farm, no reliable estimate of 
the return obtained from this large outlay can be formed ; but 
there can be no doubt as to its fertilising effects on the soil, and 
the excellent crops which we saw this year go to prove that it 
has already borne fruit. 
Artificial manures are also purchased, to the extent of AOL 
per annum. 
Wheat following Clover layer. — Sixteen loads of farmyard- 
manure per acre are applied to the latter as a dressing for the 
wheat, and 7 pecks of seed per acre are drilled. Twenty-one- 
and-a-half acres are this year in this crop. 
Barley. — Twenty-one acres were sown after roots consumed 
on the land by sheep eating cake ; seed 10 pecks per acre. The 
greater portion of this was a very good crop, but one or two 
places were deficient where wet weather had intervened, showing 
ihat only in dry weather can roots on this description of land be 
folded with sheep to advantage. Fifteen acres after peas and 
tares were also good. Manure had been applied for the peas, 
iind none after for barley ; but, where the tares grew, 14 loads of 
farmyard-manure was given. 
^ea«5.— Nineteen acres ; one field very good, the other fair. 
Peas. — Ten acres after barley ; had 13 loads of farmyard- 
manure per acre, and were a A'ery good crop. 
Mangolds. — Twelve acres, the cultivation for which is : — 
plough directly after harvest, lay rough for winter, heavy harrow 
in spring, then ridge ; apply 25 loads of yard-manure and 3 cwt. 
of beet-manure per acre, split back and sow 6 lbs. of seed mixed 
with ^ lb. of swede seed per acre. 
Swedes and Wliite Turnips. — Fifteen-and-a-half acres, the 
culture for which is : — stubble broken up directly after harvest ; 
in spring (when dry) ploughed and cultivated ; manure spread 
over the land and ploughed in, and drilled with 3 pints of 
seed per acre. Mr. Smith's motto is, " Never let the work 
drive you, but if possible always be a little before it." 
The arable is cultivated on the 9-feet stetch. After it was 
<lrained, an attempt was made to increase the width of the 
stetches ; but experience proved the utility of a hark back to the 
" corduroy," which the late Mr. Mechi used to designate land 
so laid up. This mode of dealing with clay soils is quite the 
