560 Report on the Farm-Prize Competition o/"1885. 
The piece of first-year's seeds on the north side, between the 
house and the high road, was being cut for grass, and was a 
heavy crop of the best quality. The earliest cut from the first- 
year's seeds is secured by sowing a few acres each year early 
in the autumn, after vetches or early potatoes ; in the first year 
three green cuttings are usually taken off", and in the second year 
the seeds are twice cut for hay. 
The first cut of grass should yield about 12, the second 7 or 
8, and the third 9 or 10 tons per acre ; and the second year, the 
first hay-crop will probably not be less in a favourable season 
than 2 to 2J tons, and the second crop from li to 2 tons. 
In a narrow field of 5 acres, lying between the almost parallel 
lines formed by the highroad on the south and the railroad on 
the north, we saw the most luxuriant crop of vetches mixed 
with oats that can easily be imagined. This was to be cut 
green for the Liverpool market, where it will probably command 
the high price of 205. a ton ; and if the grass-crops reach 12 tons 
an acre, it is difficult to see how this strong-grown succulent 
bulky crop of over 4 feet in length, and standing in July 
wonderfully well (it is too thick to lie), can possibly weigh less 
than from 15 to 17 tons to the acre. 
Through the railway-bridge on the left hand is a 15-acre 
field of Webb's Kinver barley, which cost for seed 10s. a bushel. 
This crop might be better, and it is decidedly light over a con- 
siderable area ; but there is this redeeming point about Mr. Ash- 
ton's farm, in which it differs from most people's, and that is, 
that if on certain spots the crop sown does not fully develop 
itself, at any rate nothing else does. Weeds are almost as scarce 
here as in the garden of Eden before the Fall. They cannot 
escape Mr. Ashton by hiding in fence-bottoms, or anywhere 
else, and this field was as clean as the rest. 
Joining the last field is a 15-acre piece of Hunters White 
wheat after potatoes and roots. This crop the Judges were 
unanimous in considering to be sown too thick, as evidenced in 
the comparatively weak straw and small heads : 3 bushels is the 
seeding given by Mr. Ashton, and nothing will convince him he 
is making a mistake ; but I did not ascertain that this deep-rooted 
conviction of his was the result of carefully tested experiments, 
and I cannot help hoping that so shrewd a man of business will 
take steps to satisfy himself on this point. Surely he will find 
that \^ bushels to the acre instead of 3, sown early on clean 
land, in a high state of fertility like his own, will produce a 
far better crop than this, which, although looking well in 
April (almost too well), in July disappointed us very much, as 
we then thought it could hardly reach 4 quarters. I am 
well aware that caution is necessary in departing to any great 
