342 Report on the Farm-Prize Competition, 1871. 
In American cheese-factories 10 lbs, of milk lias produced 
rather more than 1 lb. of cheese. But as at both the Derby- 
shire cheese factories last year it required 11 lbs. 8 ounces of 
milk to make 1 lb. of ripe cheese, it became an interesting ques- 
tion whether English farm-dairies could do better. If 6 lbs. or 
8 lbs. per cwt. be allowed for loss between the cheese Avhen 
taken from under press and when marketable, it will be evident 
from the tables that in the month of July the best farm-dairying 
did not get from milk more cheese than was obtained by the 
Derbyshire Cheese Factories. 
General Cultivation. — We were much pleased with the general 
cultivation of the districts in the two counties through which we 
travelled. The fences were the most apparent drawback, but we 
acknowledge the difficulty of making either good or attractive 
the present old crooked fences upon banks, which are so very 
genera). Our first visit of inspection was at the time fallows 
were being prepared for turnips, and nothing could exceed the 
excellence of the system adopted. Autumn cultivation is almost 
invariably practised, and frequently by steam-power. So thoroughly 
do they cultivate and pulverize the soil, that success is next to a 
certainty ; and with the autumnal application of foldyard-manure, 
and the heavy dressings of artificials in the spring, many farms, 
besides those specially brought under our notice, were in a high 
state of fertility, bearing out this principle — that the successful 
cultivation of green crops is the foundation of all good and 
profitable farming. No doubt, as a rule, the arable land is well 
managed ; but we could not approve of the system of sowing 
such large quantities of rye-grass amongst the clovers ; for it must 
have (and this the growing wheat-crop proved), a deleterious 
influence upon the success of that crop. Some system should 
be adopted, as in other counties where clover-sickness prevails, 
to alter the rotation so as to replace the clovers by a green crop, 
either peas, beans, or vetches ; whichever of these crops be intro- 
duced must be governed by its adaptation to the soil. The sowing 
of such a large quantity of rye-grass was the only feature of which 
we did not approve, and seeing, as we did, the universal thin 
plant of wheat sown after ley, we became even more convinced 
that this was the cause. The grass-land, as a rule, is well 
managed, but where bones and artificial manures had been applied 
there was a marked improvement in the quality of the herbage. 
Irrigation appears on the increase, and wherever it was considered 
practicable to obtain water for this purpose it was made available, 
and we heard of many instances of tenants having borne the whole 
expense of securing it. As a rule, the buildings were inadequate 
to the requirements of many farms ; and, as we travelled, our 
attention was frequently drawn to this particular, as well as 
