in Lancashire, Cheshire, and North Wales. 497 
harvest the work-people are paid 21s. per week. Mr. Pilkington 
has been 70 years on this farm. He is now an old man, between 
70 and 80, and must have seen many changes. He is a bachelor, 
and lives alone. He appeared to take much interest in this 
competition, and we all felt sorry we could not award him a 
prixe. To show how anxious he was, he made a voyage to the 
Isle of Man in June, to view the farming there. He had heard 
of some farms in the Isle of Man which he fancied were entered 
in the same competition. He keeps a very singular assortment 
of walking-sticks, every one with as many twists in it as the 
horn of a very old black-faced Highland ram. This fine old 
farmer belongs to a class who, as it were, form a connecting-link 
between a past and present age. When they are gone, we shall 
all feel that a fine race of men has passed away. 
Summary. 
In summing up my Report upon these farms, I have first to 
state that we received all possible information from each com- 
petitor with regard to actual deliveries off each farm of every 
kind of produce. It would be a breach of privilege were I to 
give these details in full, but I merely mention that the money 
realised for straw is very large, in fact, more than double its 
value if consumed at home ; and the quantity of rich horse- 
and cow-manure which is brought to these farms to replace the 
hay and straw sold is far greater than all the home-grown 
material could produce. From having liberty of action in this 
respect, the condition of these farms is improved, and the 
farmers are enabled to overcome difficulties under which their 
less fortunate brethren are compelled to succumb. This is not 
alone owing to the situation of these farms. It is true they are 
placed in a district teeming with mercantile enterprise, and 
where the greatest facilities are afforded for the disposal of 
every variety of farm produce ; but their success is owing prin- 
cipally to the benefits they enjoy from freedom in regard to 
cropping, and liberty to sell whatever produce is the most 
remunerative. How absurd it would appear in the eyes of the 
mercantile world to limit a general merchant to one or two 
specific articles of trade ! and this is not one whit more 
ridiculous than the clauses of many land covenants. For 
example, nearly every lease enacts that in no case shall two 
white crops succeed each other, neither shall grass be cut for 
hay in two consecutive years. Besides its absurdity, and to 
show how easy it would be to evade the first of these clauses, how 
simple for a tenant to seed the stubble in autumn with either 
mustard or rape-seed, eat it down in April with sheep (a 
