652 
Report on the Farm-Prize Competition 
unfairly be classed as moorland. Between these two moors 
lie the arable and pasture lands, the latter being mainly near 
the burn ; the arable land rises in one place to more than 
700 feet, while nearly 90 acres of it lie between 600 and 
700 feet, the remainder ranging from 550 to 600 feet above 
the sea. 
The homestead includes a very roomy and comfortable house, 
with an old-fashioned well-kept garden in front. The farm 
buildings lie on the southern side of the house, but they are not 
fully in view, as the house fronts rather east of south. These 
buildings are substantial. There are three open foldyards, 
which are rather large and cold for such an elevated position ; 
they are sheltered on the north, east and west, and open to the 
south. There are eight feeding boxes, a bjre and calf pens. 
In the barn a threshing engine is driven by an overshot water- 
wheel, which also works a dressing machine, a mill, a chaff- 
cutter, and a sawmill. There are good stables, a straw barn, 
granary, implement shed, waggon hovel, and blacksmith's shop. 
At the south-west corner of the building is the foreman's or 
steward's cottage, of two rooms and two little pantries. There 
are flv'e other cottages at about 150 yards to the south-east of 
the buildings. These have more accommodation than the 
steward's has ; the cottages which we visited were very com- 
fortable, well furnished and clean. 
The soil of the farm varies from very light and stony soil to 
strong clay land : some of the latter description, formerly arable, 
has been laid away to grass. The lighter and warmer soil suffers 
severely in a drought such as that of 1887. Lime is found to 
have a very beneficial effect, and it has been largely applied by 
Mr. Davison. About 250 tons a year are used at the rate of 5 
to 6 tons an acre. The lime costs from 8s. to 8s. a ton, 
besides the haulage, which costs about 8s. more. It is put on 
the land in course for roots, or on the old seeds before the land 
is ploughed up for Oats. Sometimes it is applied fresh when 
it comes from the kiln, at other times it is laid in large heaps 
and put on in the spring. 
The acreage of the different descriptions of land is given in 
the entry certificate as follows : — 
Arable, 273 acres ; pasture, 384 acres ; and hill or moor, 405 
acres — but the distinction between pasture and hill or moor is 
not very definite, and some land seems to be at one time 
described as arable and at another as pasture. The arable 
fields, many of them, have shelving banks of grass, haughs and 
old quarries, so that it is difficult to ascertain the exact extent of 
the land under the plough. Mr. Davison stated that he had .last 
year about DO acres in corn, 60 acres in turnips, 54 acres one 
