538 Report on the Wariciclishire Farm'Prize Competition, 1876. 
very large flock which is maintained ; and taken in connection 
with the foregoing figures, showing so moderate an expenditure 
in artificial foods, &c., it is exceedingly creditable, and places 
this farm in a very high class in this particular. 
Labour. — Six cottages are held with the farm and occupied by 
labourers at the very low rent of Is. a week. About six regular 
day labourers are employed, besides waggoner, shepherd, cowman, 
and three hired youths at 10s. a week and 21. at Michaelmas. 
The labourers get 13s. a week when by the day, and 21s. a week 
at haymaking. The stockmen get 18s. a week the year round, 
and no beer. The hours of work are from seven to five, with one 
hour out for dinner ; in haymaking from six till dark. The har- 
vest is let to the men (a machine for cutting being found) at 
16s. per acre, to get into stack, without beer. The following 
extras are paid to the stockmen, instead of beer : shepherd, 20s. 
for lambing ; cowmen, 20s. for cows calving ; waggoners, 20s. for 
drilling. Mr. Adkins has abolished the beer system on his farm, 
and wisely substituted money payments. He informs us that so 
enormous was this evil in days gone by, when the men had 
unlimited beer at hay and harvest, &c., that he has known two 
hogsheads of beer to go in one day, and one man to carry away 
nine gallons in the same time^or his own consumption ! In those 
days food was also given in haytime and in harvest to 70 or 80 
reapers. The stockmen also had two or three meals a week in 
the house all the year round. 
The present amount spent in Labour is very large : — 
£ «. (7. ■ 
1043 18 9 
1077 9 10 
1097 14 7 
1061 16 10 
The average of the four years has been 1070/. 5s. — but this 
includes the 30 acres of pasture land at Mickleton — or 21. 10s. 6cf. 
per acre on the whole occupation. Carrying out the same process 
as was adopted in Mr. Lane's and ^Ir. Stilgoe's cases, and 
reckoning lOs. per acre for the cost of the pasture, we have the 
somewhat alarming figures of 3/. lOs. \0d, as the labour-bill upon 
the arable land. I will not enlarge upon this subject, but will 
proceed briefly to sum up our notes. » 
We had no opportunity of seeing the corn-crops of 1875, but, 
judging from the stubbles, they must have been very fine. I have 
already adverted to the extreme cleanliness which was observed 
at the autumn inspection. The root-crops were all good, the 
mangolds a heavy crop of excellent quality, and the cabbages 
remarkably fine ; the stock was in good thriving order. Neither 
wheat nor winter beans were yet sown. 
Michaelmas, 1871-2 
1872- 3 
1873- 4 
1874- 5 
