The  Yorhsldre  Farm-Prize  Competition , 1883.  543 
mated  to  give — at  the  time  of  taking  stock — SI.  per  acre  all 
round,  and  so  credited  in  the  balance-sheet,  Mr.  Turnbull  writes 
on  the  13th  of  August:  “To-day  the  promise  is  that  the  nett 
proceeds  will  largely  exceed  this  estimate.  My  white  oats  will 
probably  yield  10  quarters  per  acre,  and  I have  a good  deal  of 
the  corn  bespoken,  for  seed  purposes,  at  30s.  per  quarter.  The 
straw  will  average  1^  tons  per  acre: — 
£ s.  d. 
10  quarters  oats,  at  30s 15  0 0 
1£  tons  straw,  at  40s 3 0 0 
Gross  proceeds  per  acre  . . £18  0 0 
“ The  Black  Tartarian  oats  will  average  at  least  8 quarters 
per  acre ; they  will  be  worth  24s.  per  quarter ; there  will  be 
1 ton  of  straw  per  acre,  if  not  more ; corn,  9 1.  12s.  ; straw,  21. ; 
gross  proceeds,  11/.  12s.  I propose  beginning  harvest  the  day 
after  to-morrow/’ 
Although  these  farms  have  been  only  a comparatively  short 
time  in  the  occupation  of  Mr.  Turnbull,  yet,  taking  them  as  a 
whole,  they  are  in  a highly  creditable  condition.  Against  the 
whole  of  the  seven  points  which  the  Judges  were  “instructed 
especially  to  consider,”  the  word  excellent  might  be  written. 
In  completing  the  details  of  what  may  still  remain  to 
enable  Twyers  Wood  to  be  characterised  as  a model  farm, 
Mr.  Turnbull  may  yet  have  to  devote  a little  more  of  his  un- 
bounded energy.  He  has  now  the  honour  of  gaining,  and  the 
Judges  have  great  satisfaction  in  unanimously  awarding  to 
him,  this  well-earned  prize. 
In  connection  with  farming  business,  Mr.  Turnbull  originated 
a system  of  hiring  out  cattle  to  cottagers.  The  reporting  Judge, 
after  hearing  the  details  of  the  working  of  this  system,  re- 
quested Mr.  Turnbull  to  furnish  him  with  the  particulars  in 
writing.  Believing  that  they  would  prove  of  considerable 
interest  to  many  of  the  readers  of  this  Report,  they  are  ap- 
pended. 
HIRED  DAIRY  CATTLE. 
Ax  Account  of  the  Origin  and  Working  of  the  Hire  System. 
Seven  years  ago,  when  staying  at  my  father’s  home  at  Hackness,  near 
Scarborough,  I observed  that  a cottager,  who  had  had  the  misfortune  to  lose  his 
cow,  and  who  was  not  a member  of  the  district  Cow  Club,  had  great  difficulty 
in  raising  the  necessary  funds  to  replace  it.  His  children,  in  the  meanwhile, 
suffered  by  not  getting  an  adequate  supply  of  milk. 
I found,  too,  that  cottagers  were  often  greatly  inconvenienced  and  dis- 
heartened by  their  cows  not  being  in-calf.  A cow  that  might  have  been 
worth  20/.  had  it  been  in-calf,  would  probably  not  realise  more  than  half 
this  sum  as  a store  “ drape.”  Cow  Clubs  do  not  insure  against  risks  of  this 
