512 Report on the Liverpool Prize-Farm Competition, 1877 — 
The live-stock of the farm in the month of May included 
14 cows, well-selected Shorthorns, and 16 two-year-old heifers, 
all suckling their calves in the field ; the latter, except some 
selected to keep up the stock of regular breeding cows, being 
put dry as soon as possible, and thereafter growing into heavy 
three-year-olds for next year's sale. There were also some 
60 or 80 yearlings, of which 16 were heifers soon to be put to 
the bull — rearing a calf as two-year-olds, and sold fat at three. 
There were also about 70 cattle — coming two or coming three- 
year-olds, with one or two draft-cows among them — being fed 
in stalls and yards for the sale immediately ensuing. Calves 
are bought all through spring and summer, as there is room 
for them. They suck two to a cow at a time, being brought 
to them twice a day for the purpose, Mr. Roberts him- 
self superintending the work : sometimes a favourite calf is 
allowed to run with its dam. No milking is done on the 
farm. Sixty to 80 calves are thus reared every year; 16 heifers 
of the home-breds being chosen to breed from, taking the 
place of the two-year-old heifers, which, having suckled their 
calves, are dried off and fed for the next year's sale. Some of 
the more forward yearlings have been brought out fat at the 
June sale, and made as much as 24/. at 16 or 17 months old; 
but this practice will not be continued. The cattle sold average 
generally about 29/. each, the great majority being just over 
two years old. Sixty-eight beasts made 1957/. 10s. last June, 
81 made 2273/. in June, 1876 ; and the sum received for the sheep 
and cattle together varies from 2200/. to 2600/. annually. The 
calves have access to cake and ground beans and hay, from the 
very beginning of their Weaning. They are reduced to a single 
meal of milk daily at 5 or 6 weeks old, and are entirely weaned 
at 9 or 10 weeks old. They are kept in yards through the summer, 
and in sheltered sheds in the first winter, 10 or 12 together, and 
are fed on grass, receiving 3 lbs. apiece of cake and meal, with 
hay and whole roots during winter. They are at length put out 
on capital two-year-old clover, receiving and generally requiring 
nothing else till the following autumn, when they are taken 
into yards again, receiving, with swedes and straw, 5 or 6 lbs. 
of mixed Indian corn and home-grown oats and beans, a quan- 
tity which is gradually increased, until, in March, April, and 
May, before the sales, they are getting 10 or 12 lbs. of mixed 
meal and cake, in addition to mangolds and hay. It appears 
likely that, as the system adopted by Mr. Roberts aims at 
bringing the young cattle out ripe at an early age, and his 
winter feeding with corn and cake is very liberal, it would pay 
to continue a small allowance of corn or cake through all or part 
of the time when the cattle are on grass. Any check in their 
