The  Yorkshire  Farm-Prize  Competition,  1883. 
551 
About  12  calves  are  reared  annually.  They  are  timed  to 
come  in  September  and  March.  The  September  lot  are  ready 
to  wean  on  the  arrival  of  those  in  March  ; the  auxiliary  food  is 
oatmeal  and  linseed-cake.  Ferns  grown  on  the  crag  are  dried, 
and  make  good  litter  both  for  the  calf-house  and  stable. 
The  heifer  calves  are  retained  for  cows,  and  the  steers  are 
sold  as  yearlings. 
Two  mares  are  kept  to  breed  and  do  the  farm  work. 
Mr.  Davis  does  not  consider  horse-breeding  to  any  extent 
profitable.  All  the  winter  keep  is  needed  for  the  cattle  ; and 
young  horses  running  out  take  what  the  ewes  should  have, 
besides  treading  up  the  pastures.  Two  very  promising  two- 
year-old  colts,  which  had  been  put  out  to  winter,  were  running 
on  the  crag  in  July. 
4.  Management  of  Grass-land. — As  previously  stated,  much  of 
the  farm  that  needed  draining  has  been  done.  During  the 
lifetime  of  Mr.  Davis’s  father  a portion  of  the  clay  land  that 
had  been  under  the  plough  was  sod-drained  and  sown  down  to 
grass  ; this  part  of  the  farm  requires  re-draining.  Sod-draining 
is  much  practised  in  this  district.  The  drains  are  first  cut  with 
an  ordinary  spade  to  the  depth  of  2 feet,  the  next  footing  is 
then  taken  out  with  a narrow  spade,  which  leaves  a shoulder  on 
which  the  top  sod  is  laid,  the  under-footing  remaining  entirely 
open  These  drains  on  clay  subsoils  are  called  “ wedge  drains,” 
and  are  said  to  stand  good  for  twenty  years  or  more.  Mr.  Davis 
now  drains  with  pipes.  A bog  in  a meadow  was  being  drained 
at  the  time  of  our  visit.  The  drains  were  3 ft.  6 in.  deep,  7 yards 
apart,  and  cost  Is.  3d.  per  rood  of  7 yards. 
Any  meadow-ground  which  requires  more  liberal  treatment  is 
given  a good  coating  of  home-made  manure  as  soon  as  the  hay 
is  taken  off.  This  sacrifices  the  fogg,  but  it  keeps  the  land  warm 
through  the  winter  months,  is  nice  picking  for  the  hoggs,  and 
ensures  a crop  of  hay  for  the  ensuing  year.  Gas-lime  is  brought 
by  the  canal.  It  is  used  as  a compost,  mixed  with  soil,  to 
top-dress  the  pastures.  Mr.  Davis  states  “ that  it  brings  a lot 
of  useful  grass,  but  he  finds  that  it  has  a tendency  to  reduce  the 
quantity  of  fine  herbage  if  put  on  too  strongly,  otherwise  it  suits 
the  strong  land  of  the  neighbourhood.” 
5.  State  of  Gates,  Fences,  Roads,  and  General  Neatness. — These 
were  all  in  fair  working  condition  ; there  was  no  appearance  of 
a spurt  having  been  made  to  get  them  up  in  show  form.  The 
roadside  hedges  had  been  cut  and  laid,  and  were  fairly  trimmed, 
and  miles  of  stone  walls  were  without  a gap  or  break.  The  farm, 
taken  as  a whole,  and  considering  character  and  situation,  was 
presented  in  a highly  creditable  condition,  though,  as  previously 
stated,  Mr.  Davis  does  not  sacrifice  profit  for  appearance. 
