552 
Report on the Farm-Prize Competition of 1885. 
maturity. The cause being seen in the autumn and spring 
visits, beginning with the first stirring of the soil after harvest 
(very properly looked upon as the agricultural New Year), 
and in April the cultivation for roots and treatment of growing 
crops, setting potatoes, &c. — this latter a very large item on 
most of the farms on our list, so far as the crops are concerned. 
As regards the live-stock in the first November visit, to notice 
the cause or management in the housing and feeding and care- 
taking, which produces the effect in spring of a goodly show of 
well-fed beef perhaps, where that is the object in view ; or, it 
may be, a turn out on to grass of a lot of strong, thriving, 
growing, young cattle. Or a dairy of cows, — not half starved, 
and requiring a good part of the summer to regain condition, 
lost perhaps during the winter, — and not injudiciously over-fed, 
an almost greater and more dangerous evil than the other, especi- 
ally in the case of pregnant animals, but cows in sound vigorous 
habit of body, with the bloom of health on their skins, the 
result of airy sheds to lie in, exercise in the middle of the day, 
good sound provender, and pure water. It is the man who 
thus brings his cows through the winter who has a right to 
hopefully anticipate a fall of strong good calves, and to expect 
that every blade of grass will be turned into money. And so in 
the winter management of all other kinds of farm stock, to see 
that it was such as would ensure, as far as may be, the horses 
being in condition for the pushing on of spring work, and the 
ewes for lambing and rearing their lambs, though, to tell the 
truth, only I think on one or two farms was there a ewe flock 
kept, and scarcely any of the leading men in either class 
owned a sheep, showing that the Judges concurred in their 
absence. 
To those gentlemen who have on this occasion been unsuccess- 
ful, I will only say, what I am sure my fellow Judges will endorse, 
that on their farms we saw many instances of excellent farming, 
such as on a future similar occasion may take a great deal of 
beating ; and I am also sure that my colleagues and myself would 
gladly congratulate them on any such future success, wishing 
them for the present, " better luck next time." It is with great 
pleasure we wish to record here, the universal courtesy, hospi- 
tality, and assistance in giving information, which we received 
from every competitor, and to offer our sincere thanks to them- 
selves and their families. 
I will now, without further introduction, append a list of the 
competitors, and proceed to describe the prize and commended 
farms in each class. 
