The Farm Prize Competition o/1890. 
799 
fair milking capacities. The young stock did not seem as good 
as they should have been from such dams, but this is frequently 
noticeable in the South Hams breed. More careful selection, 
however, of sires would do much to correct this failing. The 
work of the dairy falls to Mrs. Hill's share, and right well is 
it looked after. Up every morning at live o'clock, Mrs. Hill is 
able personally to superintend the scalding of the milk, and the 
making up of the butter, which is done daily. Cream is sent 
by parcel post to distant places, such as Torquay, Bath, and 
Cheltenham, and is sold at the same price per lb. as butter. 
Milk and butter are sold retail to the villagers and neighbours, 
and the surplus butter is sent to Totnes on the weekly market 
day. One woman and a girl are kept in the house to assist in 
the dairy and house work. The former also assists in the milk- 
ing of the cows, having generally 10 allotted to her, but if more 
she is paid an extra 4;d. a week for each one. 
A breeding flock, of about 235 ewes, of South Devonsis kept 
and their produce reared. The ewe hoggs are mostly retained 
for the flock, the draft ewes being usually sold into the eastern 
part of the county, " the land of water meadows," where they 
are crossed by Shropshire or Hampshire Down rams, and fed 
off with their lambs, which arriving early go off soon at top prices. 
The wether hoggs are fed off the following spring or summer, 
about one half being kept on until after shearing time. Those 
seen were estimated to clip 16 to 17 lb. of wool in the 
grease. The ewes and hoggs were in excellent condition, 
many of the former too much so when compared with 
the condition of their latest lambs. Evidently the breed 
are not good mothers, as was noticed on many of the 
farms, and they do not produce as large a crop of lambs as 
various other sorts do, Mr. Hill's 235 producing only 290 lambs 
or barely 1£ per ewe. In other cases the judges heard of even 
less increases, and were informed that if one lamb is weaned 
for each ewe put to the ram the result is considered satisfactory. 
The other stock on the farm consists of eight work-horses, three 
colts, and one riding hack ; also three sows and their latest 
produce. 
The labour bill amounts to 300Z. per annum, which covers 
the wages of six men and four boys. Three pairs of new 
cottages, and one old one, are included with the farm, and are 
let to the labourei"s at the rate of 2s. 6d. per week. The new 
cottages are some of several pairs which have in recent years 
been erected in the district by the Commissioners at an 
estimated cost of about 500Z. per pair. They are neat and sub- 
stantial erections on excellent sites, and contain three bed- 
