The  Yorkshire  Farm-Prize  Competition , 1883. 
517 
landlord  or  his  agent  on  these  estates  evidently  covered  some 
sinning  in  this  respect. 
The  system  of  boarding  the  farm-labourers,  which  was  almost 
invariably  met  with,  and  their  bill  of  fare — meat  three  times 
a day — was  a surprise  to  our  colleague  from  the  far  south,  who 
remarked  that  it  presented  a striking  contrast  to  the  life  of  a 
Dorsetshire  farm-labourer  in  the  matter  of  beef-eating-. 
The  Judges  appointed  to  inspect  the  competing  farms  were 
invited  to  meet  the  Secretary.  Mr.  11.  M.  Jenkins,  at  \ ork,  on 
Mondav  evening,  Januarv  15th.  Mr.  Jenkins  was  prevented 
bv  sudden  illness  from  keeping  this  appointment,  but  a care- 
lull  v prepared  order  of  procedure  awaited  us,  which  was  literallv 
followed  throughout  the  first  inspection. 
The  local  talent  who  sketched  the  route  must  have  been  well 
up  in  the  geography  of  the  county.  Emerging  from  the  Station 
Hotel  in  the  grey  dawn  on  the  morning  of  the  16th  of  Januarv, 
we  were  met  at  the  door  by  a choking  fog,  which  called  forth 
the  remark,  It  is  as  bad  as  the  Hall  at  Islington  when  a fog 
visits  a Smithfield  Show."  Four  farms  were  inspected  during 
the  day,  and  after  a return  journey  of  seventeen  miles,  driven 
in  the  dark,  confidence  in  our  programme  was  established. 
The  competition  was  limited  to  tenant-farmers  paving  a bona 
fide  rent  for  at  least  three-fourths  of  the  land  in  their  occupation, 
the  whole  of  which  required  to  be  entered  on  the  certificate. 
The  Judges  were  instructed  to  take  into  full  consideration  anv 
special  advantage  one  competitor  might  have  over  another,  and 
were  also  to  consider  seven  points,  which  have  repeatedlv  ap- 
peared in  this  ‘ Journal  in  the  reports  of  previous  farm-prize 
competitions. 
On  page  518  will  be  found  a Schedule  of  the  farms  in  York- 
shire entered  for  competition,  with  the  unanimous  award  of  the 
Judges  appended. 
The  second  inspection  was  commenced  on  April  23rd,  when 
all  the  competing  farms  were  revisited.  Owing  to  the  frost  and 
snow,  which  came  of  “ winter  lying  in  the  lap  of  spring,"  farm- 
work  was  much  behindhand.  A considerable  breadth  of  spring 
corn  remained  to  be  sown,  and  work  was  every  where  at  high 
pressure  on  the  arable  farms.  It  was  a time  when  the  Judges 
had  the  best  opportunities  to  judge  of  the  normal  condition  of 
the  farms  in  point  of  cleanliness.  Xone  of  the  corn  was  suffi- 
ciently forward  to  cover  weeds,  and  the  fallows  were  either  in 
process  of  cleaning,  or  showing  what  they  required  in  that  line. 
Fat  hoggs  were  still  receiving  sliced  roots  on  several  of  the 
iarms,  and  this,  in  some  cases,  on  land  which  was  to  be  worked 
lor  barlev.  On  the  grazing  farms  in  the  W est  Riding,  lambing 
was  scarcely  finished.  We  found  a good  crop  of  lambs  there, 
