554  The  Yorkshire  Farm-Prize  Competition , 1883. 
occupied  the  best  field  of  18  acres.  The  heifers  were  nearly  fat, 
and  were  each  having  an  allowance  of  6 lbs.  of  linseed-cake  per 
day,  put  down  in  small  heaps  on  the  grass.  The  best  land 
is  calculated  to  be  stocked  with  rather  less  than  a beast  and 
2 ewes  and  lambs  for  every  two  acres.  This  season  the  farm 
wras  said  to  be  carrying  fewer  cattle  than  usual,  but  no  grass  was 
going  to  waste. 
Sheep. — Eight  score  of  Cheviot  ewes  had  been  bought  in 
October;  100  of  these,  with  36  mule  ewes  and  15  hoggs  were 
out  at  grass  in  January.  Lambing  commenced  on  the  6th  of 
April.  The  numbers  given  in  July  were  the  following  : — 
95  Ewes  with  190  lambs. 
66  „ ,,  66  lambs. 
21  ,,  off  which  21  lambs  had  been  sold  first 
week  in  July. 
7 Barren  ewes. 
3 Wensleydale  rams. 
These  numbers  show  an  excellent  crop  of  lambs.  The  single 
lambs  were  all  intended  to  be  fattened.  The  keeping  lambs 
were  castrated  the  last  week  in  June,  and  would  be  sold  as 
stores  about  the  last  week  in  July. 
Mr.  Holden  did  not  show  any  accounts,  but  stated  that  this 
farm  had  made  a fair  profit  last  year,  but  had  lost  him  money 
for  three  years  previously. 
The  whole  occupation  presented  a tidy  appearance.  Fields 
were  free  from  thistles  ; buildings,  roads,  fences,  and  gates  were 
all  in  excellent  condition.  An  old  hedge  by  the  roadside  had 
been  taken  out  and  a neat  iron  fence  substituted  ; this  work  was 
so  satisfactory  to  the  agent  that  he  voluntarily  paid  for  the 
materials  used. 
Although  there  is  nothing  about  the  management  of  this  farm 
of  especial  merit,  yet,  taken  as  a whole,  it  was  found  in  a highly 
creditable  condition,  and  was  therefore  commended. 
Class  I. 
Mr.  Wm.  Taylor's  Farm , Nether  Poppleton. 
This,  the  only  other  farm  which  competed  in  Class  I.,  is  of  a 
totally  different  character  from  those  previously  described.  It 
requires  to  be  noticed  as  the  only  competing  farm  on  which  arable 
land  has  to  any  extent  been  sown  down  to  grass.  It  contains 
360  acres,  of  which  110  acres  are  still  arable  and  250  pasture  ; 
of  this  latter  portion  112  acres  of  poor  clay  land  have  been  laid 
down  to  grass  in  recent  years.  The  landlord  found  seeds  ; and 
if  the  land  sown  down  was  neither  mown  nor  grazed  for  the  first 
