322 Report on the Farm-Prize Competition, 1871. 
lis. per week, and two quarts of beer per day, at a cost of 4r/. 
per gallon. Eacli labourer is allowed to plant 10 rods of ground, 
for wliich he pays 25s., with potatoes. These wages are con- 
tinued through the year, and for four weeks during the harvest 
they have their victuals given them. The boys' wages through 
the year are 6s. per week ; weeding is generally done by task- 
work at Is. 6(f. per acre. The account given us for labour upon 
this farm is much less than on any other we have inspected, 
amounting to 24i)Z. 15s. in the year. The land was perfectly 
clean, and the work in as forward a state as was needed. The 
corn is invariably cut by machinery, and taken up by the 
labourers, two additional men only being engaged for the harvest 
at 14s. per week and their victuals. The whole harvest work is 
done by the day. The corn is threshed by a steam machine 
worked by a portable engine, which is used for grinding and 
chopping. 
Buildings. — These are very primitive and forlorn, and very 
deficient in accommodation, a fact which reflects still more 
credit on the enterprising management. So good a tenant is 
surely deserving of more consideration. We cannot close our 
notes upon the Bratton Farm without expressing the very high 
opinion we entertain as to its thoroughly profitable management, 
which reflects the highest credit both upon the tenant and her 
manager, Mr. Felton, with whose intelligence and energy we 
were much impressed. 
Highly Commended Faems. 
IMr. George Anderson May's farm, at Elford Park, near 
Tamworth, which we highly commended, contains 423 acres, 
335 of which are arable. He also occupies a farm two miles 
from this at Edingale, containing 61 acres of grass and 50 acres 
arable. Elford Park lies six miles north of Tamworth, and is 
intersected by the South Staffordshire Railway. 
The surface is undulating, and the soil principally a strong 
loam resting on a red clay subsoil. A small portion, about one- 
third, of the arable is light sheep land. Fields vary in size, 
none exceeding twenty acres. The grass land on the lower part of 
the farm is rich, and mostly reserved for feeding. Ten acres irri- 
gated from the River Meuse are mown annually. Mr. May laid 
out this land at a cost of lOZ. per acre, and considers the outlay 
remunerative. The Avater is put on at intervals during the 
winter and early spring, and never allowed to remain longer than 
ten days at a time. The higher grass land near the house is 
naturally weaker, but it has been greatly improved by feeding 
stock on it with linseed-cake. 
