Report on the Farm-Prize Competition of 1885. 583 
Besides these 50 acres, Mr. Cropper occupies 92 acres which 
are not lor competition. 
The soil is light loam, sandy, and shallow in some places, 
resting on clay. 
The tenant has lived here 38 years. His system of farming 
is to sell everything possible at Liverpool, and load back with 
town manure ; night-soil, also, and shoddy are purchased in 
considerable quantities, and brought by rail to the station, 
1^ miles distant. Rent, 120^. ; and tithe, 8/. 
The homestead, house, garden, and premises generally were 
neat and orderly ; and the gates, occupation roads, and especially 
fences, were remarkably good, with the exception of a boundary 
fence, which was not up to the mark. The tenant planted all 
the fences, the landlord finding quicks ; the draining also, 
wherever necessary, was done by himself, the landlord finding 
tiles. Several roads have been made and pits filled up, and 
old fences pulled out. The land is very clean, and in a high 
state of fertility. 
Labour. — The farm is worked by the tenant and his two 
sons, two teamsmen, and a labourer, besides extra labour when 
required. 
Live-stock were as follows : — 
3 Carthorses (the best we saw anywhere). 
1 Light horse for general purposes. 
1 Chestnut blood filly. 
3 Cows. 
3 Heifers. 
3 Calves. 
4 Fat pigs. 
The horses call for some further remark. The two best, one 
5 and the other 6 years old, cost the tenant 70/. and 111. apiece, 
respectively ; and that good horses are required is sufficiently 
proved by the fact that 1 horse sometimes takes a load of 3 tons 
to Liverpool ; and as everything is weighed as a rule, there is 
no guess-work about the load. Liverpool is 8^ miles to the 
south. The dairy produce is nearly all consumed at home. 
Nitrate of soda is used as a top-dressing. 
Crops. — The small grass croft next to the steading was not 
very first-rate grass, and the temporary fence wanted a 
gate. 
A small plot of mangolds in the stackyard enclosure was 
fairly good, but attacked by maggot. 
A large plot of rhubarb was very good. 
Four acres of potatoes, after one year's seeds, on the north- 
All first class. 
