568 
The  Yorkshire  Farm-Prize  Competition,  1883. 
days  had  brought  a succession  of  thunder-storms,  which  cul- 
minated in  a terrific  storm  of  hail  on  the  4th  of  July.  Though 
the  full  force  of  the  storm  had  spent  itself  a little  to  the  south 
of  Wood  House,  yet  the  farm  was  dreadfully  washed;  in  the 
hollows  the  turnip  drills  were  covered  more  than  level  with  the 
soil  run  off  the  hill-sides,  and  one  newly  ploughed  field  had  a 
breadth  of  soil  entirely  washed  off  down  to  the  chalk.  If  further 
proof  had  been  needed  of  the  violence  of  the  storm,  we  saw  it  in 
the  roof  of  Mrs.  Barkworth’s  conservatory,  which  had  been 
completely  riddled  with  the  hail.  A meter  kept  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood had  registered  10^  inches  of  rainfall  in  ten  days,  com- 
mencing on  the  25th  of  June.  A large  field  of  swedes  that 
had  been  sown  more  than  five  weeks  was  in  a wretched  plight. 
The  plants  had  at  first  been  nearly  devoured  by  the  fly,  and 
now  they  were  washed  and  battered  almost  beyond  recovery. 
Another  field  sown  a little  later  was  a good  plant,  and  nearly 
ready  for  thinning. 
A field  of  34  acres  was  ready  for  ridging-up  when  the  storms 
came  ; on  the  7th  of  July  we  found  8 pairs  of  horses  reploughing 
it.  We  were  told  that  these  light  ploughs  would  turn  it  over  in 
two  days,  and  the  pace  looked  as  if  it  would  be  done  in  that 
time.  Sixteen  acres  besides  this  field  were  still  to  be  sown  with 
turnips,  in  addition  to  another  field  that  was  to  be  sown  with  rape 
for  early  feed  for  the  lambs.  When  we  visited  this  farm  in  May 
we  found  about  600  hoggs — stock  ewe  and  fattening,  in  one  lot — 
eating  cut  swedes ; and  a large  part  of  the  field  of  18  acres  was 
still  standing  to  be  eaten.  Of  this  field  Mr.  Watson  writes  : — 
“ On  the  last  eaten-off  turnip-land  it  is  too  late  to  sow  spring 
corn,  and  costs  more  than  it  is  worth.  At  that  time  we  are 
busy  preparing  for  sowing  turnips  again.  We  let  the  land 
remain  until  a wet  day  comes,  and  we  can  do  nothing  else  ; we 
plough  it  over  and  sow  a little  rape,  and  sow  the  land  with 
wheat  in  the  autumn : this  is  an  excellent  way  to  get  good 
clover,  by  sowing  the  seeds  among  the  wheat  the  following 
season.” 
Seeds. — These  are  all  invariably  pastured.  The  mixture  sown 
is  white  clover  and  trefoil  and  a very  little  Italian  rye-grass. 
No  red  is  sown,  as  it  is  said  to  give  sheep  the  “ yellows.” 
The  first  year’s  seeds  were  an  excellent  pasture  carrying  a 
heavy  stock  of  sheep.  The  second  year’s  field  was  not  quite  so 
good  ; half  of  it  was  already  ploughed  out,  in  preparation  for  a 
wheat  crop. 
Live-Stock. — Sheep  are  looked  upon  as  having  golden  feet  on 
the  Wolds.  Leicester  ewes,  with  a strain  of  Lincoln,  are  the 
foundation  of  the  flock.  A Shropshire  ram  has  been  occa- 
sionally used,  and  the  produce  is  much  jneferred  by  the  Hull 
