506 Report on the Liverpool Prize-Farm Competition, 1877. 
of nitrate of soda. The clovers and grass-seeds very soon form 
an admirable pasture, hardly distinguishable from good old 
grass, and they remain down as long as the tenant thinks proper. 
Of the whole 250 acres, about 120 acres are in permanent 
grass, much of this being low-lying meadow-land, which Mr. 
Lea has drained, and which he mows every year. The fields 
have been thrown together in 20 and 25 acre plots, many 
crooked fences have been removed, and great lengths of new 
straight fences have been made, quicks having been planted 
and protected by strong wooden posts, with rail on top and two 
wires beneath. The premises, of which a plan and index are 
given on p. 507, provide ample accommodation for the stock of 
all kinds, and for their winter fodder. In the engraving, the 
large open square is represented as occupied partly by yards 
and shedding. This exists, as yet, only in design. The pro- 
posed alteration will be a great improvement, for at present 
there is a great surface on which the manure lies exposed to 
the rain ; and as the buildings are not spouted, there is a con- 
siderable escape of liquid manure, which might, indeed, be 
•directed into a stream, and flushed over one of the lower fields, 
but which at present runs to waste. The house and dairy 
accommodation is convenient and roomy. The garden is pro- 
bably one of the most profitable farm gardens in the island ; 
large quantities of fruit and vegetables, and mangold seed from 
selected roots, being grown for sale. 
The live-stock of the farm — confined to cows, young stock and 
pigs — include 70 to 80 dairy cows, of a useful Shorthorn type. 
Twenty young heifer-calves are reared each year, and as many 
drafts of the poorest milkers and the older cows are sold off 
each year. The heifers are put to the bull at 16 months old, 
and are brought into the herd early in their third year. They 
are a useful lot of common Shorthorns, and are improving in 
Mr. Lea's hands. For his latest purchased bull, bred by Mr. 
George Phillips of Shropshire, he gave 52 guineas at the Bingley 
Hall sale, Birmingham — having taken the first prize in his class 
there. This show-sale appears to be in many instances attended 
by the Cheshire dairy farmers. The produce of the cows is about 
4 cwt. of cheese annually, besides about 20 lbs. of butter apiece, 
a considerable quantity of the milk also being sold from them 
in December and January. Both the latest and the earliest 
milkings thus go into Liverpool, at prices varying from 10fZ. to 
lid. a gallon on the farm. All the earliest bull-calves also 
are fed, and there are generally 20 to 30 fat calves sold early 
every spring, at prices varying from 3/. to 51. apiece. Besides 
these, upwards of 400/. is received annually from the sale of 
draft-cows ; and there are 50 fat hogs of a good middle-sized 
