544  The  Yorkshire  Farm-Prize  Competition,  1883. 
kind,  though,  they  often  prove  to  he  very  serious  in  cold  wet  seasons,  such 
as  we  have  had  lately.  I observed  also  that  losses  were  frequently  sustained 
by  cows  not  proving  to  be  good  for  dairy  purposes. 
The  small  amount  allowed  by  the  Cow  Club,  in  the  event  of  the  death 
of  a cow,  viz.  from  9?.  to  12?.,  or  about  two-thirds  of  its  value,  and  the  risk 
which  membership  involved,  kept  many  cottagers  from  joining  the  Club. 
Several  families  who  had  the  right  to  graze  a cow  in  the  lanes  were  unable 
to  take  advantage  of  this  privilege,  in  consequence  of  their  savings  being 
insufficient  to  buy  one. 
No  one  can  have  resided  long  in  the  country  without  observing  that  the 
children  of  cow-keeping  cottagers  can  almost  invariably  be  distinguished  by 
their  rosy  cheeks.  These  are  the  children  who,  in  after  life,  make  the  best 
cattlemen  and  dairymaids. 
The  advantage  and  comfort  to  a country  labourer  of  having  a good  cow, 
convinced  me  that  capital  could  be  usefully  and  profitably  employed  by 
purchasing  cows  and  hiring  them  out,  under  an  agreement,  to  cottagers  and 
small  farmers. 
In  the  spring  of  1876  I bought  nine  Kerry  heifers,  which  were  near 
calving,  at  a cost  of  12?.  each,  and  1 hired  them  out  by  the  year  in  the 
Hackness  district.  The  annual  charge  made  for  each  heifer  was  21.  10s., 
and  the  hire,  except  in  one  instance,  was  paid  in  advance. 
One  of  this  little  herd  of  Kerries  is  still  hired  out. 
The  first  cottager  to  whom  1 explained  my  proposed  system  was  Alexander 
Cranstone,  of  Harwood  Dale,  a fine  old  man,  who  occupied  a cottage  on  the 
edge  of  the  moor,  under  Lord  Derwent  of  Hackness.  Alec  had  lost  his 
cow,  and  had  no  means  to  buy  another.  He  thanked  me  for  calling,  and 
invited  me  to  have  a cup  of  tea;  but  at  first  he  did  not  fall  in  with  my 
plan  for  enabling  him  to  replace  his  cow.  “Ye  see,  sir,”  he  said,  “the  coo 
wadn’t  be  me  own!”  I replied:  “The  land  you  occupy  is  not  your  own, 
Alec.”  “Vary  true,”  he  said,  “but  I’m  too  auld,  sir,  to  tak’  up  new  plans.” 
As  I was  riding  away  from  the  cottage,  Alec  called  out  from  the  top  of 
the  pasture  bank,  “I  deant  think  it’s  sike  a fond  idea  efther  all!  Will  ye 
still  let  me  hev  a coo,  sir?”  I consented,  for  I knew  Alec  to  be  a good 
“ keeper,”  and  I was  convinced  that  the  arrangement  would  prove  mutually 
satisfactory. 
That  evening  Alec  selected  a promising  Kerry  heifer,  which  did  credit  to- 
his  judgment,  for  it  proved  to  be  an  excellent  dairy  cow.  He  had  it  from 
the  spring  of  1876  up  to  the  time  of  his  death,  which  took  place  a few 
weeks  since. 
I called  to  see  old  Alec  in  the  autumn  of  1878;  speaking  about  the  cow 
he  said,  “ The  little  coo  has  paid  you,  sir,  and  she  has  kept  me  ; so  we  ought 
both  to  be  satisfied.” 
After  hiring  out  the  cow  to  old  Alec,  I appointed  Mr.  Richard  Marshall, 
of  Hackness,  to  act  as  my  agent.  The  first  man  that  applied  to  him  was 
Mark  Jeffels,  of  Mount  Misery,  a carrier,  who  occupied  a small  moor-edge 
farm  near  Hackness.  He  had  been  unfortunate,  having  lost  most  of  his 
live-stock.  At  the  time  he  applied  to  Mr.  Marshall  for  cows,  he  had  only 
1 cow,  1 horse,  and  12  sheep  left.  How  to  meet  his  rent  he  knew  not ; he 
had  ten  young  children  to  maintain,  and  for  their  sake  he  determined,  if 
possible,  to  overcome  his  serious  difficulties. 
Mr.  Marshall  let  Jeffels  have  two  cows  in  1876,  and  two  additional  ones 
in  1878.  The  cows  proved  to  be  excellent  milkers.  The  profit  that  lie 
made  by  his  cows  he  invested  in  sheep  and  calves.  I regret  to  say  that  in 
the  spring  of  1879  Mark  died  of  congestion  of  the  lungs.  He  had  the 
satisfaction  on  his  deathbed  of  feeling  that  by  his  .perseverance  and  industry 
he  had  made  a provision  for  his  wife  and  children.  At  the  time  of  his  death 
