in Northumberland and Durham in 1887. 631 
Mr. Fenwick Wilson's Farm, Marden, Whitley. 
First Prize in Class II. 
This farm, which contains 220 acres, belongs to His Grace the 
Duke of Northumberland. It is held on a yearly tenancy, and, 
unlike most of the farms in Northumberland, the entry is on the 
25th of March. This appears to be the usual custom on this 
estate. The incomer pays for the seed and labour on Corn 
crops sown, and thus has a much easier entry than is usual in 
this county. 
The rent is 630/. a year, from which however 10 per cent, has 
been allowed as an abatement. Mr. Wilson has only been in 
occupation two years, so that it cannot be said that there has 
been no re-adjustment of rent. The average rent as abated is 
51s. 9c?. an acre. The rates amount to 93/. a year, or more, so 
that the gross rent of the farm is even now 60s. an acre. 
The farm is situate about a mile to the north of Tynemouth, 
and \ mile west of the Whitley Station on the Blyth and Tyne 
Railway, and only a few hundred yards from the sea. The farm 
is cut in two by a disused line of railway, and a portion of it is 
severed by the present line. 
The homestead is placed at the extreme northern edge of the 
farm, but it is near the railway and by the side of the road. 
The house is good, the garden excellent. The buildings are 
also good and sufficient for the requirements of the farm. The 
byre is capable of accommodating 14 cows, and when we saw it 
filled with stock, it was as clean as such a place could be. The 
stacks and stack-yard were as neat as anything we saw, and 
that is a high commendation, as the neatness of the stack-yards 
was everywhere noticeable. There are 3 excellent cottages on 
the farm close to the homestead. These have upper floors and 
none of the defects noted in some other cases. 
The soil of the farm is for the most part a strong clay, but 
its character is very much modified by the heavy dressings of 
town manure and town refuse, which are rendered possible by 
the close proximity of a large town. 
The farm has been so much cut up by the two lines of railway, 
and the fences have been so much altered that it is difficult to 
distinguish them on the map supplied to the Judges. The 
schedule attached to the map gives the following quantities : — 
Arable 165 3 31 
Grass 50 3 14 
Buildings, gardens, ponds, kc 3 1 28 
Total 
220 1 33 
