in Northumberland and Durham in 1887. 651 
those who receive a greater amount in money. The payment 
of wages in kind has often been denounced, but no doubt it has 
its advantages, and the general opinion in the North is that the 
position of the labourers has not improved where this system 
has been discontinued. 
To return to the management of the farm, the fences and 
gates were well kept. The buildings and stackyard were not 
very tidy, but the shabby old buildings supply some excuse for 
this — the whole appearance of the farm and the stock upon it 
suggested a good subject well and liberally treated. Mr. Drys- 
dale produced no accounts, neither did any of his competitors ; 
and the Judges had to form their own conclusions from what 
they saw and heard on the occasions of their visits. They were 
unanimous in awarding the first prize to Mr. Drysdale. 
Mr. Hedley Davison's Farm, Sorainwood, Rothbdry. 
Second Prize in Class 3. 
This farm, containing about 1060 acres, forms the entire 
township of Scrainwood, in the parish of Alnham. It lies 
about seven miles north-west of the town of Rothbury, and is 
the property of Mr. W. C. Selby, of Biddlestone Hall. It has 
been in JNIr. Davison's occupation about five years ; he hires 
it from year to year at a rent of 760/. It is tithe free, and the 
rates amount to about 70/. 
The entry to the farm is at May-day (13th May). The 
tenant is not allowed to take two white-straw crops in succes- 
sion. At quitting, he is entitled tc an away-going crop on 
120 acres, which the landlord is bound to take at a valuation. 
The farm lies rather out of the way among some of the 
outliers of the Cheviot Hills, and at least seven miles from a 
railway station. The Scrainwood Burn, known also as the 
Wreigh, or Wreeth, coming down from the hills to join the 
Coquet a little above Rothbury, cuts the farm in two. In the 
lower valley of this burn are some flats of pasture on a gravel 
subsoil, and there the grass is early ; but these flats are very 
subject to floods. The homestead is placed a little above 
this burn and in the centre of the farm. At this point 
the elevation is about 550 feet above sea level. From it 
the ground rises in almost every direction. To the west lie 
Ewe Hill, 800 feet, and Harden Hill, 1072 feet high. This 
is the portion of the farm described as " hill or moor " in the 
entry form. 
The extreme east of the farm is occupied by rough pasture of 
more than 200 acres, rising to 646 feet, and this might not 
