The  Yorkshire  Farm-Prize  Competition,  1883. 
515 
a part  of  the  inquiry,  proved  generally  a crucial  test.  Only  in 
exceptional  cases,  to  which  reference  will  be  made  hereafter, 
does  there  appear  any  approach  to  regular  stocktaking.  Unless 
this  be  done  annually,  it  is  obvious  that  a definite  statement  of 
either  profit  or  loss  for  a given  year  is  impossible.  Cash  accounts 
of  receipts  and  payments  were  general,  and  these  were  placed  at 
our  disposal.  Y\  e gathered  that  It  orkshire  farmers  have  evi- 
dently not  suffered  so  much  as  their  brethren  have  done  in  some 
other  districts.  This  has  been  due  no  doubt  to  the  price  of  the 
meat  which  they  so  largely  produce,  and  to  some  extent  also 
probably  to  potatoes,  to  which  one  farmer  at  least  attributed 
some  measure  of  his  success. 
1879  was  generally  pronounced  a disastrous  year,  and  as  a 
rule  no  headway  had  been  made  in  recent  years,  but  rather 
the  reverse.  \ arying  percentages  of  returns  of  rent  had  been 
made  at  rent  days  : had  this  not  been  done,  some  of  the  tenancies 
would  have  been  terminated.  With  scarcely  an  exception,  the 
•competing  farms  appeared  to  be  fully  rented. 
In  a few  instances  the  difficulty  of  dealing  with  clay  lands  was 
evident.  When  they  had  been  laid  to  grass,  the  farmers  had  been 
hard  hit  by  losses  from  fluke ; and  when  cultivated,  the  crops 
had  been  by  no  means  remunerative.  The  course  of  cropping 
pursued  everywhere,  except  in  the  Wolds,  admitted  of  successive 
white  crops  : a practice  almost  universally  prohibited  in  the  more 
northern  counties.  On  the  heavy  lands  this  system  has  evi- 
dently arisen  from  the  uncertainty  of  the  root-crops,  and  also 
from  the  fact  that  such  soils  are  not  easily  exhausted.  The  diffi- 
culty in  pursuing  this  course  is  to  maintain  cleanliness,  especi- 
ally in  wet  seasons.  Where  this  essential  condition  was  fairly 
carried  out,  the  capabilities  of  the  soil — when  assisted  by  a 
moderate  top-dressing — to  produce  a second  white-straw  crop 
did  not  appear  to  be  at  all  impaired.  When  such  was  followed 
by  a fallow,  it  was  said  to  ensure  a good  clover  plant. 
W ith  the  exception  of  the  fallows  on  the  Manor  House  Farm, 
Catterick,  no  steam-cultivation  came  under  inspection.  One 
competitor,  who  had  employed  a set  rather  freely  some  years 
ago,  used  strong  language  when  describing  results,  concluding 
by  the  remark,  “ He  wished  the  whole  darned  thing  had  been 
at  the  bottom  of  the  Ouse.” 
Complaints  loud  and  deep  were  met  with,  at  every  turn,  of 
the  sufferings  entailed  directly  or  indirectly  by  foot-and-mouth 
disease.  On  one  farm  a flock  of  200  hoggs  had  been  purchased 
in  April  at  60s.  each,  and  had  broken  down  immediately  on 
arrival.  On  another,  a flock  of  ewes  on  being  brought  home  to 
lamb,  caught  the  disease  on  the  w ay,  and  consequently  came  out  in 
May  with  a small  crop  of  lambs,  many  of  the  ewes  lame,  and 
all  out  of  sorts.  Owing  to  restrictions  upon  the  movement  of 
