550 
Somersetsliire Farm-Prize Competition, 1875. 
winnowing-, »S:c. This brook runs some half-mile below the- 
farm into the river lie, which flows from Chard, past Ilminster, 
and joins the Parret above Longport. 
The climate is mild, and forms a great contrast to Brendon 
Hill, being a fortnight to three weeks earlier. The grain- 
harvest is usually completed in this locality about the time of 
commencement there. Harvesting operations begin about the 
1st of August. This district is generally supposed to be about 
a week later for the ingathering, as well as in the spring, than 
that of Taunton Dene. 
The rainfall averages something like 32 inches, being about 
the same as at Bristol, where Dr. Burder's returns show an average, 
for the last twenty years, of 32-05 inches. Taunton would show- 
rather less, last year's average totalling 29 inches against 35 in 
Bristol. 
The tenure of the farm is a yearly tenancy from Lady Day, but 
the general custom of the estate is a twelve years' lease. The 
agreement provides for no hard-and-fast rotation ; and there are 
no restrictions as to cropping, further than what may be implied 
by the requirement " to pursue a good system of husbandry." 
There is no tenant-right by agreement or by the custom of the 
country. Local custom here admits a right of pre-entry to an in- 
coming-tenant to an average proportion of the land to sow with 
wheat in the autumn, either after mangolds, beans, or clover-ley. 
The out-going tenant pays the rent till Lady Day and receives 
no share of way-going crop. All produce must be consumed on 
the farm before Lady Day. The cost-price of young clover-seeds 
is allowed for, provided they have not been depastured after 
November 1st. 
The house and buildings are snugly placed on the eastern 
side of the farm, surrounded by plantations and orchards. Most 
of the cottages are adjacent to the house, and with their gardens 
are within the area of the same shelter. The dairy premises 
are in the park pasture land and some distance from the resi- 
dence. A yard with stalls at the home-buildings is, however, 
reserved for the cows. The house is of a superior character, and 
is partially surrounded by pleasure-grounds, the neatly kept and 
productive kitchen-garden being in the rear. The farm pre- 
mises are well built, and in a good state of preservation. They 
consist of a double gable-ended building, formerly a flour-mill, 
which, with its machiner}-, was some years ago entirely gutted 
through fire. This mill was then worked by water-power, which 
is only now being reapplied. The basement contains a room 
for the water-wheel, calves' house, and cow-stable, with granary 
above, in which machinery is conveniently arranged for win- 
nowing, chaff-cutting, grinding, and cake-crushing, and a cf)n- 
nection is effected with a pulper for preparing mangolds, which 
