in Lancashire, Cheshire, and North Wales. 
485 
yard is an important item in the farm-account, which, under 
Mr. Hughes' careful management, is a source of considerable 
profit. We saw beautiful flocks of both young turkeys and geese. 
We were very much pleased with our visit, and commend the 
temant for his pluck in catering for this competition, at the same 
time fighting against impossibilities, as far as success was con- 
cerned, seeing the wide range of the competition brought into 
the field those highly cultivated farms around Liverpool, with 
their almost unlimited command of substance — viz. good ma- 
nure — the liberal use of which can alone lead to success. This 
country cannot yet show much in the way of implements or 
machinery ; but those in use were well adapted for the district. 
Class II. 
This class was for the best-managed farm (arable) above 80 
acres in extent, and under 150 acres, having at least two-thirds 
of its area under rotation of cropping. First prize, 40?. Second 
prize, 20Z. 
Linacre, close by Linacre village, and occupied by Mr. Samuel 
Cooke, was the winning farm in this class. It lies four miles 
north of Liverpool, and is on the property of the Earl of 
Derby. The farm measures 130 acres, imperial. The soil is 
light, the subsoil sand resting on clay. The tenure is yearly, 
but Mr. Cooke has been all his life on the farm. I may men- 
tion, first of all, that this is a most unmanageable farm to work, 
being cut up with railways and other lands intersecting, besides 
being troubled with footpaths. A small portion of the farm 
is only in hand for this year. But all these difficulties have 
been successfully overcome by Mr. Cooke. The whole farm is 
particularly well managed. When the farm was inspected in 
December last, it was seen what excellent crops of hay, grain, 
and roots had been raised last year. Mr. Cooke follows the 
usual rotation — viz., potatoes and roots, wheat, barley, and seeds, 
which lie three years. The second inspection was on the 2nd 
of July. The crops were as follows : — 
20 acres wheat ; of these 5 after oats and 15 after potatoes. 
15 acres barley, after wheat. 
10 acres oats, after clover. 
16 acres potatoes, after grass ; varieties, Regents, Victorias, 
Dalmahoys, and Myatt's Kidneys. 
13 acres clover-hay. 
23 acres two-year- old hay. 
14 acres three-year-old hay. 
12 acres pasture, belonging to the Gas Company, and 
subject to three months' notice. 
