584 
Somersetshire Farm-Prize Competition, 1875. 
per cent., but no increase on former years. The water-power 
much economises labour ; and a proportion of the subjoined 
expenditure on permanent improvements would perhaps in the 
ordinary way be placed in the general labour account, while in 
this case it is calculated separately. 
Permanent improvements since 1865 : — 
Improvements to buildings, stackyards, bringing water-supply, 
and making roads, 408Z. I85. 5c?. 
Drainage of meadows (landlord finding pipes), laying out for 
irrigation on Bickford's system, making drinking-ponds, level- 
ling banks and land, taking up hedges, and filling ditches, 
labour in laying down five-acre field to permanent pasture, 
290/. 
Outlay on machinery, 331Z. 
The latter item perhaps scarcely fairly comes within the 
category of permanent improvements. 
Mr. Thomas Hembkow's Farm. 
A. R. P. 
Arable 79 0 14 
Pasture 123 3 8 
Total . . . . 202 3 22 
This farm is eight miles east of Taunton. It commences in 
the historic district of Athelney in the marshes, close to which 
station a monument is erected in commemoration of a victory 
over the Danes by Alfred the Great in that neighbourhood. 
This marsh is part of Stanmore, and adjoins West Sedgmoor. 
It is watered by the River Tone, which, together with the Yeo 
and the Isle, forms a junction with the Perrot in the vicinity of 
Stanmore and Athelney Bridges, some short distance nearer 
the sea. The accumulation of water from the marshes is col- 
lected on either side by means of open cuts, and is pumped 
over into the river by a fixed steam-engine. 
A rate of 10s. per acre is annually levied on landowners for 
original expenses connected with this system of drainage, and 
this sum is calculated to repay principal and interest in twenty 
years from the completion of the work. 
The maintenance of open ditches is paid for by a pro rata 
levy on the occupiers, and the yearly outlay varies from 5*. to 
10s. per acre. Landlord's and tenant's charges arc paid for by 
Mr. Hembrow. The climate is to some extent affected- by the 
moisture of the marshes, but is on the whole salubrious. 
