811. 
The Farm Prize Competition of 1890. 
the orchards and strawberry ground. Seven acres of the grass 
land form part of a plot of about 150 acres which was reclaimed 
by Lord Mount Edgcumbe from the River Tamar about twelve 
years ago, and which, when let separately, now realises 21. to 
31. an acre in yearly rent. AVhen first reclaimed the land was 
full of holes and hollows into which cattle and horses were apt 
to sink. These holes had to be filled up by spade labour. 
Afterwards the land was trenched two spit deep, then drained, 
and afterwards limed at the rate of 4^ tons per acre, put on hot. 
Two crops of oats followed, then the land was summer fallowed, 
and afterwards laid down to permanent pasture, which is now 
capital grazing ground. The landlord paid for the embanking 
and draining, and the tenants did the remaining work of 
reclamation, getting the land at a nominal rent for the first 
year or two. Mr. Lawry spent 100/. in labour in reclaiming 
his portion, but doubts if either he or his landlord has yet 
derived much benefit from the outlay. Part of the land is now 
planted with plums and raspberries. 
Ten cows are kept for dairy purposes, and are mostly cross- 
bred Shorthorns, and Guernsey. These are put to a Shorthorn 
bull, the present sire, bred by Mr. Treadwell, having been 
bought at the Birmingham sale in 1889. The calves are all 
reared and fed on the farm until matured either for the herd or 
butcher. About forty-five ewes, chiefly Dartmoors, are bought 
each autumn, and put to a dark-faced and short-wool ram (either 
Hampshire or Shropshire, or a mixture of both). The lambs 
are pushed on from birth, so as to go off fat as early as possible. 
The ewes also are well fed, and sold to the butcher during the 
summer. The increase in this flock had been three lambs to 
each pair of ewes. A few pigs are fed, and a lot of poultry 
kept and reared. The receipts for the latter amount to about 
70/. per annum. Three horses are kept. 
The labour bill for the whole averages from 400/. to 500/. per 
annum, but fluctuates according to the abundance or otheVwise of 
the fruit crops ; a good cherry year entailing quite 20/. a week 
extra during the picking season. The ordinary rate of wages 
is 15s. a week, for about nine months of the year, when the men 
work from 7 a.m. to 5.30 P.M., but in "picking" time they are 
raised to 20s. per week, with no limit as to hours, and when 
work frequently commences between 4 and 5 A.M. For cherry 
picking, 24s. to 2Gs. per week is given to men accustomed to 
the work, and who are careful not to damage the trees whilst 
" gathering." But this is an uncertain crop, as, for instance, 
in 1887 Mr. Lawry sold 18 tons of cherries, but in 1889 
only 15 cwt. In " strawberry " and " bush fruit '' times forty 
