•646 
Report on the Farm-Prize Competition 
with Leicester tups. Young home-bred ewes are brought in 
every year, and after three crops of lambs have been taken they 
are drafted out. The tups are also bred upon the farm by pure 
Border Leicester rams put to pure Cheviot ewes, a small flock 
of these being kept for the purpose. 
The Hill pasture is of a very superior character. It is gene- 
rally considered that one ewe requires two acres of hill, and here 
there are nearly as many ewes as acres ; but it must be stated 
in explanation that for three months in the winter the hill flock 
gets hay and corn and turnips. If the farm will not supply 
these, keeping is bought, and the hill is cleared for a while,, 
which no doubt contributes to its healthiness. 
The Valley or In-field flock of about 250 ewes is styled a 
three-quarter bred one, as containing a larger mixture of 
Leicester blood. Old half-bred ewes are brought from the hill 
and put to Leicest(T tups — and the crossing is continued until 
the Leicester blo(,d becomes too predominant and the sheep 
are too fine for the climate. The lambing time with the In- 
field sheep begins in the last week of March, and with the hill 
flock in the 2nd week of April. The death rate is said to be 
rather high. With regard to the produce of lambs, it is con- 
sidered satisfactory if one lamb to an ewe is raised on the hill, 
and lamb to 1 ewe in the valley. The wether lambs, and 
such of the ewe lambs as are not required to keep up the flock, 
are sold in July or August. 
Our first visit to Great Ryle was made on the 17th of 
December, on a bright frosty day with the earth as hard as iron 
under our feet. We made a pretty complete tour of the southern 
half of the farm, and " cuts " of the hill sheep were brought down 
at various places for us to see by samples what they were like. 
The valley flock were seen in the pastures and the ewe hoggets 
on the turnips, where they were getting a little cut hay. The 
Cattle were inspected, as also the roots and the buildings. 
At this time there were on the farm : — 
12 Ilorscsj — All workers (10 being the usuil uumLer). 
Gl Cattle:— 
13 steers, fattening in foldyard. 
3 heil'ers fattening in fuldyard. 
2 heilers, feeding and suckling. 
2 calves. 
12 steers fattening in byres. 
2 heifers fattening in byres. 
13 steers, stores for grazing. 
3 heifers. 
7 stirks. 
3 cows in milk. , 
1 calf. 
