534 Report on the Waricickshire Farm-Prize Competition, 1876. 
into some detail as to its most characteristic features, viz., its 
exceeding cleanliness, and the beautiful character of its fences 
and roads. In these particulars Mr. Adkins is princeps (I might 
almost say facile princeps) among the rerv clean and excellent 
farmers who entered into the competition. In walking over 
a pea-stubble of nearly 30 acres, ploughed for wheat at onr 
November visit, we essayed the difficult task of finding a piece 
of couch. Spreading ourselves out we marched across the field, 
and it was not until we had arrived at its extremitv, and 
were about to quit it, that one small sprig was discovered, and 
unearthed, to the unutterable dismav of the farm-bailiff who 
accompanied us. This had, doubtless, found its way from the 
neighbouring hedge-row close to ; but the audacity of the plant 
taking root at all in such hallowed precincts seemed quite to 
upset the equanimity of our companion, who made several 
allusions later on to " that bit of squitch " which " he could not 
get over." * At the same visit, with our eyes well open, we onlv 
discovered three thistles on the entire farm. Such admirable 
cleanliness as this deserves a record. It is told of the late 
Mr. J. C. Adkins that, riding over a field of peas in earlv 
spring, he discovered a dock, whereupon, without marking the 
spot, he despatched a labourer to search for the intruder. After 
three or four davs of diligent quest it was detected and borne 
home in triumph, where, no doubt, it still remains among the 
family curiosities. The story is good enough to be true, and, 
indeed, may verv readilv be believed when the present condition 
of the farm has been examined. The same gentleman had also 
a theory about the eradication of thistles, which has always been 
carefully acted upon at Milcote with the results above men- 
tioned. Cast-iron shares are never allowed on the ploughs, but 
■wrought ones substituted. It seems highly probable that the 
blunt cast-iron shares, so commonlv used, may have a tendency 
to push a tough root like a thistle on one side instead of cutting 
it. But, however that mav be, Mr. Adkins' theorv and his 
practice went hand in hand, and the result is an entire freedom 
from this troublesome weed. 
But cleanliness is not the onlv characteristic of the farm. 
The hedges are almost uniformlv. in neatness and evenness, no 
less than in freedom from weeds, all that could p6ssibly be 
desired. In this department also the hand of Mr. Adkins' 
father is visible. It was bv him that these beautiful lines ol 
quick were planted, and bv him that they were nursed into their 
present mature growth. They are trimmed only once a year — 
♦ This poor fellow, whose name was David Hodges, and who had been upon 
the farm for tweiitj--seven years, shortly aftt-r our November viait left Mr. Adiin.- 
serrice, and very soon afterwards died somewhat suddenly. 
