782 
The Farm Prize Competition o/1890. 
been the crop of 1889 that on the Judges' visit in June there 
were several cartloads unconsumed. 
Several varieties of wheat are grown. One field of Seholev's 
Squarehead was a most promising one, and on the 9th June 
was just coming into ear ; another of Oakshott's Champion, and 
others of Hardcastle and Carter's Red are described in the 
Judges' books as grand crops, and the best seen on the tour. 
Mr. Vosper says his crops frequently produce 50 bushels of 
wheat per acre, and on one occasion he got 80 bushels per acre 
of Normandy White. In 1888 he sold the straw from 12 acres 
for 84Z. 
As soon as the wheat crop is removed, the land is scarified, 
dunged, and cleaned (if necessary), and a crop of trifolium sown, 
which in the following spring is sold green at Plymouth. This 
crop is one of the most remunerative grown, because of the 
favourable market for its disposal. The land being in high 
condition already, and specially dunged on the wheat stubble, 
the trifolium grows rapidly, and is ready for sale before most 
other crops in the neighbourhood. Thus Mr. Vosper is able to 
get the higher price of the early market, so that his return for 
this crop not unfrequently realises 101. per acre. Indeed, the 
total receipts for green forage (inclusive of occasional cuttings 
of clover) not unfrequently reach 500Z. in the season. So much 
of the trifolium as is not sold before the prices get down to a 
low level is made into silage in a stack pressed with Johnson's 
apparatus. Part of the stack made from the 1889 crop was 
standing in the yard in January, whilst in June the surplus of the 
1890 crop had been so secured. An occasional second mowing of 
clover is also made into silage, when not sold green in the 
Three Towns. 
As the crop of trifolium is removed day by day the 
plough follows immediately to prevent the stems getting dry 
and hard, and afterwards the land is prepared for swedes 
and cabbages. For the former about 25 to 30 carts of dung, 
and 3 cwt. each of superphosphate (mineral) and dissolved bones, 
4 cwt. of nitrate of soda, and 5 cwt. of salt are used. The cabbage 
plants — mainly Drumheads, here called "Flat-polls" — are 
generally put in on the flat during the first week in June, at 
about 2 feet 2 inches apart each way. The crop is given to the 
dairy cows throughout the winter. The swede crops are not 
sown until about midsummer, and the common turnips later 
still. In the autumn some of the tops of the swedes are sold 
green as a vegetable, and make from 20s. to 30s. per acre. 
The roots are mainly fed off by sheep, which get an allowance 
of cake and corn. The barley crop follows, and Mr. A'osper, 
