324 
Report on tlie Farm- Prize Competition, 1871. 
SlnopsLire Downs, ;in(l is a ram breeder. His flocks consists 
of 200 ewes. Fiftv or GO of the best ewes are put to the ram in 
the beginning of September, it being considered important to 
have ram lambs early. About a fortnight before the rams are 
introduced, the ewes are put on fresh keep — rape or grass with 
cake — afterwards they are spread out thinly over the stubbles 
and pastures, and pick up mangolds and turnip-tops, or anything 
else that can be sj)ared until .January, when they have cut roots 
with chopped straw and a little meal. This diet is continued up 
to lambing and afterwards. The lambs are weaned in June, and 
receive artificial food, to which they have become accustomed 
when with the ewes ; white turnips are also thrown on their pastures 
to teach them. From thence they are put on the turnips, where 
they are liberally fed with cut roots, and 1 lb. of malt-dust till 
February — after which time they get 2 lbs. of oil cake, and a 
portion of malt-dust with decorticated cotton-cake. The wethers 
are finished off upon seeds, still eating cake, and are usually sold 
from June to August. The rams, we suppose, will have an 
increased amount of artificial food, an accurate account of which 
few breeders are in a position to give. The ram hoggs which we 
saw were very forward in condition, and we thought them a 
superior class. Sixty ewe hoggs are reserved for the flock, about 
half the remaining ewe hoggs and young draft ewes are sold with 
the rams by auction : 40 rams are sold annually in the autumn, 
at an average of from twelve to fifteen guineas each. For the 
last twelve years from 100 to 120 beasts have been fed annually, 
principally bought from neighbours and at fairs, from December 
to April. They are fed in yards, on pulped roots and chopped 
straw, the most forward beasts having in addition from 2 to 4 
lbs. of meal and cake per day. They are sold from June to the 
end of the year. Such has hitherto been the system ; possibly 
the difficulty of purchasing beasts to leave a fair profit has 
induced Mr. May to alter it. This year he is milking 25 cows, 
rearing their calves, and selling milk to a co-operative factory 
at per gallon. The heifers are to be bulled at two years 
old, 6 cows drafted each year, and a similar number of heifers 
introduced. The bullocks are to be grazed at 3 years old; such, 
is the jnogramme. 
Nine horses arc employed on the farm, stt-am power being 
hired for autumn fallows. 
£. 
Cake and com consumed, auuually 4.")0 
Artificial manures 150 
Abstract accounts are kept of stock, crops, labour, artificial 
food, and manures, and on the Gth of April each year a valuation 
is made. 
