72 
Ixrport un Ilia Farm Prize Competition 
a good fux-cover. It is difficult of access, especially in winter, 
as there is uo hard road across the fields. 
Many new quicks had been planted two or three years 
since. These were kept very clean, but some of the hedges 
were very bad, and were to be grubbed up and quicks substi- 
tuted. 
Grass-land was poor, with a good many tussocks, but was 
well grazed. Mr. Simpson has broken up IG acres of grass, the 
turf of which was pared and burned, and the ashes spread over 
the land. He has drained about 45 acres, 2^ feet deep and 8 
yards apart, with 2-inch tiles, at a cost of 4?. 10s. per acre ; 
25 acres being drained at the expense of the landlord, and 
20 by the tenant. About 30 acres of mole-draining has been 
done by the landlord, 10 yards apart and 2 feet deep, costing 
4cZ. per chain, with good results. 
On the arable land the four-course system is adopted. 
Wheat, Golden Drop, is generally grown, and is dressed with 
farmyard manure. Barley, Webb's Chevalier, was looking 
well, with perhaps rather too much straw to yield a good result. 
Oats, black Tartarian, were good, the general average being 
7 quarters per acre. 
Grass for mowing was light. Three acres of permanent 
pasture laid down three years ago showed a good deal of white 
clover, but was very short and not a good crop. 
Swedes and mangold, with 12 loads of farmyard manure 
and 4 cwt. dissolved bones drilled with the seed, looked clean. 
Turnips were sown on the flat 15 inches apart, with 12 loads of 
manure and 4 cwt. dissolved bones mixed with ashes. The 
manures commonly applied are bone phosphates drilled with the 
seed, mixed with ashes at the rate of 3 cwt. per acre. 
A strong feature on this farm was the excellence of the 
live-stock. At the time of the December inspection there were 
19 horses, G7 cattle, 13G sheep, and 13 pigs. There were five 
working mares, Shire-bred, in good condition and a very useful 
lot of animals ; one brood mare, a thorough-bred hunting mare 
by "Martyrdom," besides a number of colts and fillies. The 
cattle, all reared on the farm, were shorthorns of various ages, 
generally very good. The cows are fed on chopped straw, malt- 
dust, and meal. Sheep were of the Lincoln breed, a very nice 
lot, especially the breeding ewes. Lambs were also very good. 
On labour there is expended about 138L yearly, not in- 
cluding board. Two labourers are engaged by the year at 15s. 
weekly, not boarded in the house ; but two others, also engaged 
by the year, are boarded in the house, one having 17^., the other 
4/. a year. Additional lielp is obtained in harvest and for 
