518 Report on the Liverpool Prize-Farm Competition, 1877 — 
months, at a cost of 20/. to 30/. a-year ; but, with the exception of 
this help, a herd of 22 capital Shorthorn cows, with all their 
heifer-calves reared up to three years old, is maintained — the 
draft-cows, 7 to 9 every year, being either sold when springing 
for calving at a high price, or fattened off and sold as beef. A 
flock of 70 or 80 Cheviot-ewes, purchased in Scotland every 
autumn, to which a North-country Leicester ram is put, are 
kept through the winter, and sold, ewes and lambs both fat, in 
the following year. A number of bacondiogs are also fattened. 
The cows, large-framed Short-horns, are all of Mr. Mackereth's 
own breeding. He has used pure-bred Shorthorn bulls for many 
years. The bull now in use he purchased of Mr. Craggs of 
Ackholme, for 45/. when a calf. We saw on July 9 capital 
heifer-calves, 11 very good yearlings, and 9 admirable two-year- 
old heifers. Many of the ewes and lambs were already disposed 
of; 70 ewes had been bought in 1875 for 161/., and they and 
their produce had been sold in 1876, 193 head, for 433/. 9s., and 
in addition to this there would be 70 fleeces, averaging 4 or 5 lbs. 
each. The ewes run on the pastures in winter, receiving a few 
swedes before lambing, and plenty of swedes, with cake and 
corn, after lambing. As is inevitable where such a large flock 
of sheep is kept, eating the best of the grass, the make of cheese 
is not large — about 3 tons a-year. This is made on the Lan- 
cashire plan, and of the Lancashire size, varying from 3 or 4 to 
6 to the cwt. No salt is put in the curd, but the cheeses, after 
two or three days' pressing, are placed in brine for a week, in 
which they float, going in soft at first and coming out hardened. 
They are taken thence to the cheese-room, and turned daily till 
ready for sale. They made 70s. a cwt. in 1875, and 73s. a cwt. 
in 1876. 
Two horses do the home-work of the farm ; there are also two 
young ones coming on ; and, with the aid of one man receiving 
20s. a week, the whole work of the farm is done by the farmer 
and his family, as, indeed, has been already mentioned in this 
Report. 
Next to the stock upon the farm, the management of the green 
crop is the most praiseworthy feature. The Bangholm swede, 
originally Lawson's, has long been grown from home-saved 
seed, selected roots being planted out in a plot by the farm- 
house, where they can be easily protected. Remarkably large, 
well-grown swedes were being consumed in December ; and in 
July, on the 7-acre green-crop field there were at least 5 acres 
of a perfectly even plant, soon to cover the ground, although 
sown in rows 28 inches apart, and singled out in the row with 
admirable uniformity, so far apart as 16 and 18 inches. There 
was also more than an acre of potatoes, chiefly Flukes ; and a 
