522 Report on the Warwickshire Farm-Prize Competition, 1876. ! 
respects to make the farm " baste " itself, and therefore the i 
keep of the cattle in the yards is not very high. The two-year- | 
olds get about 4 lbs. of Rubsen rape-cake a day, with barley- i 
straw and mangolds, and the other young stock a small quantity | 
, of cake and hay. The home-bred heifers are kept, and for the 
most part drafted into the herd. In the meadow near the river, 
called " Beef Leasow " — a good old Saxon name which still 
lingers on in the Midlands — we found 24 capital draft cows at 
our May inspection, in forward condition, and looking like 
paying money. The young stock was also generally good and 
fresh, especially 8 two-and-a-half year old steers, which Mr. 
Lane shortly afterwards disposed of. The upland pastures being i 
somewhat liable to burn in a dry season, and the meadow-side \ 
ones to flood in a wet one, makes it rather difficult to stock j 
the farm with cattle to advantage; and thus the head of stock j 
has occasionally to be regulated in a rather different manner ji 
to that which Mr. Lane would desire. i j 
Sheep. — The sheep are entirely of the Oxford Down breed. |^ 
The stock of sheep on the farm at each of the three inspections j 
was : — 1 
November, 
May, 
July, 
1876. 
1876. 
1876. 
37 
12 
30 
152 
136 
100 
217 
163 
160 
Tegs \ 
252 
51 
3 
3 
409 
566 
344 
In looking at the July figures, it must be borne in mind that, 5 
except in a wet season, the sheep stock is reduced during the ■ 
summer months to a minimum, as the breeding stock require all 
the land except that which is devoted to the feeding cattle. In 
autumn, with favourable prospects for the extra crops, the head 
of stock again increases, and occasionally from 600 to 700 sheep 
are on winter keep on the farm. 
All sheep bred on the farm, except those intended for addition jl 
to the flock, are sold off fat as clipped tegs in the spring months. . 
The ewes are a capital lot, large framed sheep with plenty of S 
quality, and evidence very careful selection. The rams for stock J 
are bought in — Oxford Down sheep with the greatest frames, I 
the most colour, and the best wool, being invariably selected ; 152 | 
ewes are annually put to the ram, 52 theaves being added each J 
