508 Report on the Warwickshire Farm-Prize Competition, 1876". 
The average has, therefore, been 847/. Is., or IZ. 15*. per acre 
upon the whole area of the farm. Reckoning, however, for the 
sake of convenience, the cost of labour on grass land at 10s. per 
acre, the average cost upon the arable land has amounted ta 
21. 65. 6c?. per acre. 
Considering the fine condition of the farm, coupled with the 
nature of the soil, and its almost perfect cleanliness, the labour 
bill must be considered a very moderate one, and this circum- 
stance, taken in connection with the great economy shown in 
the horse-labour of the farm, had its due weight with the Judges 
in determining their decision. It must be understood that thi& 
is not a farm for the display of a system of catch cropping, 
such as that adopted by Mr. Lane, and so successfully carried 
out by him, as descrilaed further on. Neither is it, indeed,, 
according to the ordinary acceptation of the term, " a sheep 
farm." A strong loam, which requires draining, and is essen- 
tially of the " wheat and bean " description of land, would 
daunt many farmers whose object was sheep-breeding; yet 
without a flock we venture to think that Mr. Stilgoe would be 
unable to pay his rent. The simple question is, under whai 
system can a high rent be best paid on this description of land 
and a good margin of profit secured ? Mr. Stilgoe answers 
this question by growing corn crops, of the excellence of 
which there can be no question, and by a production of stock 
(or, in other words, of meat and wool) equal to 3Z. 10s. per 
acre, reckoned upon the entire acreage of the farm. I have not 
time or space to go into statistics, but it must be evident how 
great our gain as a nation would be were this example more 
generally followed. 
It was clear to us at each succeeding inspection of this farm, 
that, notwithstanding the trials of a most unfavourable season, 
Mr. Stilgoe, by sheer dint of good management, had secured 
crops, which, if not superior to those of his more favoured com- 
petitors, would fairly compare with the best of them ; and 
that in every department his practical character and business 
qualities were displayed. His sheep struck us as of unusua? 
excellence, and their management from first to last as cha- 
racterised by great judgment. A judicious mixture of breed- 
ing and feeding carried out with care in every detail secures 
results in his stock which must be looked upon as very satis- 
factory ; while his able management of plough-land is ex- 
hibited as much in the crops which adorn his fields as in the 
figures which I have given above. In this fertile neighbour- 
hood, his land cannot be looked upon as of the best description, 
yet it is clear that it is made to contribute a very large amount 
of food for the benefit of the nation. At the same time its 
