o92 Somersetshire Farm-Prize Competition, 1875. 
Arable. — The land is of a heavy character, 
not particular respecting rotation of cropping. 
Mr. Mead Is 
The course is 
sometimes 
or. 
Beans, 
Wheat, 
Roots, 
Beans, 
Wheat, 
Roots, 
Beans, 
Wheat, 
Barley, 
Seeds ; 
Wheat, 
Barley, 
Seeds. 
The farm is not adapted for roots. It is essentially wheat and 
bean land, and the continued successful return in these crops on 
this farm is something remarkable. 
The system pursued year bv year is to cultivate the land 
deeply and well, and to manure it with a heavy dressing of lime 
before taking a crop of wheat, or beans, or barley. 
The lime is manufactured on the farm ; and the limestone 
being directly under the soil, no cheaper method of manuring 
could be adopted. The expense of its cartage to the Sedgmoor 
land is not of very great moment, and the effect of its applica- 
tion is very marked. 
The wheat and bean crops are sown 8 inches wide, and have 
to be hand-hoed twice in the spring, otherwise chickweed (which 
grows very rapidlv), groundsel, and other noxious plants, would 
overpower or materially injure them. The wheat is top-dressed 
in the spring with 5 cwt. of concentrated manure to the acre. 
Roots, which form a small proportion of the rotation, are con- 
sumed by the purchase of a few cattle in the winter, and these 
tread down a portion of the superabundant straw grown. The 
clovers are mown and fed by purchased sheep. 
Acreage in respective crops, July 1875 : — 
Wheat . . . . (35 acres. 
Barlev 
Oats . 
Beans 
Clovers 
Roots 
35 
13 
50 
1-2 
17 
When last seen, the wheat crops were exceedingly heavy, but 
suffering much from red-rust. The beans were also unusually good, 
and well podded. The barley was good, and the roots were up, 
but not very forward or regular. Fourteen Devon bullocks bad 
been purchased after Christmas, and were being fed off the pastures 
with 4 lbs. of linseed-cake each per day. Two hundred wethers 
