560  The  Yorkshire  Farm-Prize  Competition , 1883. 
to  the  Judges  on  their  next  visit.  When  this  occurred  in  July, 
to  our  surprise  the  only  difference  that  was  apparent  between 
this  and  the  field  to  which  it  had  been  laid  was,  that  on  the 
new  portion  the  young  turnip  plants  were  thinned  and  vigorous  ; 
while  on  the  land  formerly  in  tillage  the  plants  were  barely  fit 
for  thinning.  The  dressing  applied  to  the  new  piece,  besides 
the  liming,  was  3 cwt.  of  salt,  1 cwt.  rape-cake,  1 cwt.  guano, 
and  3 cwt.  dissolved  bones  per  acre.  Mangolds,  of  which  there 
were  two  acres,  had  not  suffered  nearly  so  much  as  the  early 
swedes.  Though  they  had  been  kept  back  by  the  cold,  the 
plants  were  strong  and  healthy. 
Potatoes  are  not  grown  for  sale.  With  the  exception  of  the 
early-sown  swedes,  and  an  acre  or  two  of  black  oats,  the  whole 
of  the  crops  were  excellent ; the  land  was  perfectly  clean,  and 
cultivated  close  up  to  the  fences. 
Two  acres  of  cabbage  had  suffered  from  drought,  but  were 
like  furnishing  a lot  of  autumn  food. 
Draining. — A large  portion  of  the  heavy  land  had  been 
recently  drained.  A hilly  pasture  was  being  drained  in  July 
4 feet  deep  and  7 yards  apart.  The  money  is  borrowed,  and  the 
interest,  6/.  12s.  6c?.  per  cent.,  is  wholly  paid  by  the  tenant.  A 
brook  which  intersects  the  tillage-fields  on  the  south  side  was 
attacked  last  winter,  had  its  course  straightened,  and  the  broken 
banks  levelled  and  filled.  In  July  it  looked  like  an  artificial 
canal,  minus  the  water. 
Fences. — Miles  of  old  crooked  hedges  have  been  grubbed  out 
and  levelled.  On  the  tillage  land  a number  of  fences  have  been 
altogether  abolished.  Where  the  clearing  off  has  taken  place 
between  arable  and  pasture  land,  or  through  pastures  where 
fences  are  still  needed,  strong  creosoted  post-and-rail  fences  have 
been  substituted,  at  a cost  of  Is.  3d.  per  yard.  These  may 
be  counted  on  to  last  for  15  years;  and  though  not  affording  any 
shelter,  they  neither  harbour  weeds  nor  require  cleaning ; and, 
taken  all  round,  are  neat,  economical,  effective  fences.  All 
this  has  been  done  wholly  at  the  tenant’s  expense. 
Grass-land. — 14  acres  of  mowing  meadow  is  all  the  hay  made 
on  the  farm.  This  field  is  dressed  with  1 cwt.  of  Peruvian 
guano,  2 cwt.  of  bones,  and  12  cwt.  of  rape-dust,  every  alternate 
year. 
The  old  pastures  joining  the  house  are  covered  with  a rich 
herbage  and  are  clean  ; not  a thistle  or  a dock,  dead  or  alive, 
was  anywhere  visible,  and  I may  here  extend  this  latter  remark 
to  include  the  whole  farm. 
The  pastures  carry  a numerous  head  of  stock  ; they  are  no 
doubt  well  supplemented  with  artificial  food,  and  to  this  they 
