820 
The Farm Prize Competition af 1890. 
Class III. — Second Prize Farm. 
Occupied by Mr. C. Bath, Gear Farm, Camborne. 
This farm is situate just outside the small town of Cam- 
borne, the centre of one of the chief mining districts of Cornwall. 
46a. 1r. 13p. are in grass, and the remaining 22a. 1r. 19r. are 
arable. The tenancy is under a lease for 21 years, of which 
two-thirds have expired. In this Mr. Bath succeeded his 
father, who had been on the farm for 46 years. Rent, tithe, 
and rates amount to about 45s. per acre. 
The house is a substantial and roomy one, of comparatively 
recent erection, and is kept in capital order and condition. 
The dairy is well planned and ventilated, and is as clean and 
neat as it can possibly be. The other buildings are well built, 
and contain all the accommodation needed for the farm. Water 
is laid on to every pasture field from the town supply, which 
passes along the road bounding one side of the farm. For this 
the tenant pays 4>l. 10s. a year, and considers the advantages 
are quite worth it. 
One portion of the farm is stiff clay, and lies so low that 
there is no fall for the drainage, except by crossing the adjoining 
land for some distance. This is doubtless the reason why two 
or three of the fields are undrained. One of these is named 
Park Starver, and is not far from . deserving its name, though if 
it were drained and treated as Mr. Bath treats the rest of his 
land it would soon redeem its character. 
Around the homestead the soil is comparatively light, and 
responds gratefully to the liberal treatment which it receives. 
The pastures are fairly good and show much clover, rye-grass, 
and rib-grass ; but Yorkshire fog is too prevalent in some of 
the leas, and would seem to have been imported in the seed 
mixtures, as it is somewhat rare in the older pastures. Some 
of the grass fields are mown in alternate years, and are always 
manured before mowing. Indeed, the land is in such good 
heart, that last year, upon the advice of the landlord's steward, 
one field of seeds was mown twice, so full was the second 
growth. This second cutting was got late, and, to prevent over- 
heating, alternate layers of the hay and rakings of the corn 
fields were placed in the stack. In cases such as this the 
making of silage would have been much the best plan of 
securing the crop. 
Only nine acres of corn, chiefly " dredge " for home con- 
sumption, are grown. The root crop this year extends to 6£ 
acres, and is chiefly in turnips; 1| acres are mangel, whilst 
