34 
Iteport on the Farm Prize Competition 
III. — Report on the Farm Prize Competition in Nottingham-' 
shire, Lincolnshire, and part of Derhifshire and Leicester- 
shire in 1888; Classes 2 a?icZ 3. By Thomas Stirton, 
Judges. 
Heney Campion, Bletsoe Castle, Bedford. 
John J. Hakle, Whitfield, Faltield R.S.O., Gloucester. 
Thomas Sxikton, West Stratton, Miclieldever, Hants. 
In continuation of the Report on Class 1 , which appeared in the 
Journal for October 1888, it is now my duty, on behalf of 
myself and colleagues, to report on the remaining two classes of 
farms for which prizes were offered in connection with the 
Nottingham Meeting of the Eoyal Agricultural Society. These 
were : — 
Class 2. — For the best-managed arable and grass farm above 100 acres 
and not exceeding 300 acres, of which not less than one-half shall be arable. 
First prize, 50 guineas ; second, 25 guineas. 
Class 3.— For the best-managed arable and grass farm above 25 acres 
and not exceeding 100 acres. First prize, 50 guineas ; second, 25 guineas. 
The competition was limited, as usual in such cases, to 
tenant-farmers paying a hand fide rent for at least three-fourths 
of the land in their occupation, and no competitor was allowed 
to enter more than one farm. In the event, however, of his 
having other holdings, the Judges had instructions to inspect 
them if they thought desirable. 
The two classes submitted for the inspection of the Judges 
in this division included twenty farms, and extended over a very 
wide area, reaching from the neighbourhood of Brigg in North 
Lincolnshire to the borders of Cambridgeshire, and comprising 
many varieties of soil and great diversity of cultivation. The 
first inspection began on Tuesday, December 13, and was con- 
cluded on the 23rd of that month, during which period all 
the three Judges went carefully over every farm, visiting almost 
every field, except on one farm, where they were prevented by 
snow from seeing the land. The second inspection was made 
by the reporting Judge alone, and this visit was begun on May 
14. The third and last inspection, in which all the Judges 
again took part, was begun on June 28. As a preliminary step, 
an elaborate series of printed questions was issued to each com- 
petitor, the replies to which, being in many cases very detailed, 
furnished a useful guide to the Judges in visiting the farms. 
In Class 3 the inspection became very interesting, as the com- 
petition (especially between Messrs. Baguley, Widdowson, and 
Milner) was extremely close. 
