The Berkshire Farm Prize Competition, 1882. 
543 
piggeries are kept sweet and clean by frequent lime washings 
on the inside, and the application of gas-tar to the outer fences, 
and, as well as the cattle-sheds, by the daily use of ground 
gypsum. 
The farm horses are active short-legged animals, well suited 
to the land ; one or two foals are bred yearly. The denizens of 
the poultry-yard, like the other live-stock, receive careful 
attention, and show Mr. RatclifTs appreciation of good blood. 
From the unsuitable nature of the soil for winter folding, no 
sheep are kept during that season of the year, but are bought 
in as required, and fed off on summer keep such as trifolium, 
vetches, and white turnips ; those we saw on our last inspection 
were 120 good-framed crossbred shearlings, with a remote 
foundation of the old black-faced Norfolk blood ; tbey were in 
thriving condition, and receiving a pound and a quarter of 
linseed-cake per diem. 
The live-stock varied but little on each visit ; on the 20th of 
April we found 
38 Cows in-calf or in-milk. 10 Working horses, 
2 Bulls. 4 Colts. 
1 Fat show heifer, 11 Sows. 
1 Fat steer. 1 Boar. 
6 Year-and-half-old heifers. 60 Pigs. 
2 Weaning calves. 
Mr. Ratcliff has on several occasions been a successful 
exhibitor of cattle, and with " Priory Princess," a Shorthorn 
heifer of his own breeding, carried off the Champion Prize at 
the Smithfield Club Show in 1879, the same animal winning 
at Birmingham the first prize in the heifer-class under four 
years old, she being then three years and four months old, 
and her live-weight only a few pounds short of a ton. After 
her victory at Islington, " Priory Princess " was sold for the 
shambles for 150/., her dead weight reaching over 1560 lbs. 
At the present time Mr. Ratcliff has in training for Islington 
a roan three-year-old Shorthorn heifer, and a well-grown 
yearling steer. 
Before leaving the live-stock, mention must be made of the 
half-dozen beautiful roan heifers, of about a year and a half old ; 
these in their yard with its roomy shed form quite a picture, with 
their broad backs, well-sprung ribs, and stylish countenances, 
and bid fair to make a valuable addition to the milking herd. 
The expenditure last year for feeding stuffs, other than those 
grown on the farm, or used by horses, amounted to 650/., and 
that for artificial manures, viz. bone-dust, guano, and nitrate of 
soda, to 125/. 
