576 
The  Yorkshire  Farm-Prize  Competition , 1883. 
man  that  he  continues  to  be,  he  married  when  very  young.  The 
united  fortunes  of  the  pair  being  very  limited,  draining  was 
resorted  to  for  a living,  which  led  to  contracts  for  draining  in 
winter,  and  “ beck  ” cutting  and  cleaning  in  summer.  This 
work  brought  in  some  money,  and  a small  holding  of  15  acres 
was  taken  under  Lord  Wenlock.  There  vegetables,  chiefly  early 
potatoes,  were  grown  with  considerable  success. 
After  occupying  this  place  for  eight  years  a shift  was  made  to 
a 70-acre  farm  under  Lord  Leconfield,  rented  at  50s.  per  acre. 
After  a year’s  trial  this  was  found  to  be  too  dear,  and  was 
promptly  given  up. 
Mr.  Beevers  entered  on  his  present  occupation  in  1880,  and, 
though  the  seasons  have  been  unfavourable,  he  says  he  “ has 
held  his  own.”  There  is  an  air  of  prosperity  about  the  holding. 
The  crops  are  good,  many  of  them  excellent ; with  a few  tons  of 
old  hay  in  the  stack-yard,  the  cattle  are  in  good  condition,  and 
the  horses  young  and  full  of  life.  There  was  no  end  of  fine  poultry 
running  everywhere,  and  the  best  litter  of  pigs  we  saw  during 
our  travels. 
The  farm,  which  is  the  property  of  Lord  Wenlock,  lies  7 miles 
south-east  of  York,  and  2 miles  from  Escrick  Railway  Station. 
It  consists  of  127  acres,  of  which  55  are  arable  and  the  re- 
mainder meadow  and  pasture.  In  the  entry-sheet  it  is  correctly 
described  as  “ heavy,  with  a clay  subsoil.”  The  land  lying 
along  the  side  of  the  Escrick  and  Wheldrake  road,  which  bounds 
the  farm  for  about  three-quarters  of  a mile,  rises  a little.  The 
arable  land  here  is  a useful  loam,  fair  corn  land,  and  will  grow 
roots,  but  is  too  heavy  to  allow  any  of  them  to  be  eaten  off.  A 
large  portion  of  the  grass-land  is  poor  clay,  and  worth  very 
little. 
The  farm  is  held  under  a yearly  tenancy,  with  an  agreement 
for  payment  of  one-third  of  the  last  year’s  cake  bill,  and  also  on 
a proportionate  scale  for  liming  and  marling.  The  labour  on 
permanent  works,  which  is  chiefly  draining,  for  which  the 
landlord  supplies  pipes,  is  to  be  paid  for  on  a six  years’  scale  at 
the  end  of  the  tenancy.  The  rent  has  been  reduced  20  per  cent, 
owing  to  the  bad  times,  and  this  the  tenant  states  has  enabled 
him  to  hold  his  own  ; some  draining  has  also  been  done,  and 
a large  Dutch  barn  built,  free  of  interest. 
The  homestead  is  comparatively  new,  and  is  well  placed  in 
the  centre  of  the  holding,  a field-breadth  from  the  highway. 
The  house,  which  has  a neat  patch  of  gay  flower-garden  in 
front,  is  in  keeping  with  its  surroundings  : the  best  room  is  the 
kitchen.  The  buildings  are  commodious  and  well-arranged. 
They  consist  of  cow-byre,  stable,  two  boxes,  cart-shed,  and 
piggery,  and  two  shelter-sheds  for  open  yards,  the  latter  of 
