in NottingJiamshire, Lincolnshire, &c. : Classes 2 and 3. 87 
even over drains, until dried up by frost. The wet summers 
were very disastrous, especially to grass-land, on which the 
growth of coarse bad grasses could not be repressed. On different 
occasions Mr. Milner has been awarded eight silver cups and a still 
larger number of money prizes by local societies for the best 
managed farm in the district. One of these honours was 
awarded " for the best managed farm in east Derbyshire." 
The farmhouse, situated near Stretton Station, is built of 
stone peculiar to the district, faces south, and commands a 
charming prospect, but is rather an old-fashioned building. 
The homestead is of stone, very substantial, only recently built, 
and suflficient for requirements. 
When first seen by the Judges the farm looked poor, but 
well managed. Most of it had been drained some years before, 
and the drains were acting well ; they were 30 inches deep, 
the mains 36 inches ; some were 4 yards, others 6 yards apart. 
The cost was about 8^. per acre, and the work was done partly by 
the tenant alone, partly by the landlord alone, and partly by the 
landlord providing tiles and the tenant doing the labour. Five 
small fields had been laid down in permanent pasture. After 
the first year's crop the grass was said to be very poor for some 
seasons, even though covered every year with farmyard manure, 
besides an occasional application of artificial manures. After 
four years it is usually at the worst, and afterwards improves 
year by year up till twelve years or more, getting an application 
of manure every year. A field lately laid down to grass was not 
good, being full of water and couch-grass. The old grass-land 
was a conspicuous feature on the farm, and when the writer saw 
the farm in May it looked remarkably well. 
There are no cottages on the farm. Fences were very good, 
and gates in excellent order. The climate is fairly good ; at 
Chesterfield the rainfall being in the twelve months ending with 
September 30, 1887, 23-57 inches. 
The four-course system is adopted. On the heavy soil the 
rotation is, (1) vetches, cabbages, and sometimes a few roots, (2) 
wheat, (3) seeds, (4) oats. Latterly about one-third of the heavy 
soil, which fell due for vetches and cabbages, has been summer- 
fallowed. According to this plan, which Mr. Milner believes 
to be an improvement, the heavy soil comes into fallow once in 
twelve years, and the extra crop of seeds after fallow, with better 
oats and less labour, will generally counterbalance a crop of 
vetches. 
Crops in that district are at least a fortnight later than they 
are in the home counties, and, owing to the severe spring, they 
were in 1888 about ten days later than. usual. Though well 
