The Berkshire Farm Prize Competition, 1882. 553 
Mr. Davies adopts the foregoing system, as he considers a 
frequent change of crops very desirable on light land : it provides 
regular work suitable for the seasons ; the land is thus never idle ; 
and with a moderate use of cake and corn the condition of the 
land is improved. He can keep the largest amount of stock 
without reducing the acreage of corn to less than half the arable 
land ; and he believes it to be the cheapest means of keeping 
light land in a good state of cultivation. 
Wheat known by the name of Doncaster White is the kind 
grown, and the sample we saw was in excellent condition and oi 
fine quality. This wheat, tested in Scotland, was found to pro- 
duce six bushels per acre more than several other varieties tritd 
in the same way. Mr. Davies' crops of this grain were regular 
and healthy : one field of 17 acres was particularly good, although 
veins of gravel occur in the land, which, in a very dry season, 
Mr. Davies informed us, affect the yield to the extent of one-half„. 
Part of this land lies low, and had suffered from water standing 
on it, until Mr. Davies, at an expense of over 30Z., cut an open 
ditch right through the field to a depth, near the outlet, ot 
5 feet : towards this the landlord allowed lOZ. 
We were sorry to observe in this, as in some other arable 
fields, trees standing out in the open, shading the land and 
making it more difficult to plough and work. Round a field of 
wheat containing 1| acres, we counted no less than 35 trees, 
mostly of considerable dimensions, growing in the outside fences. 
One part of Mr. Davies' farm consists of a number of very 
small enclosures, some being detached ; in one or two there are 
to be found pits with a growth of underwood and willows which 
might with great advantage be filled up and thrown into the 
field ; and if much of the hedgerow-timber were cut and some of 
the fences abolished, encouragement would be given to a good 
tenant, and the estate be benefited. 
Webb's Kinver barley appears to be the favourite sort with 
Mr. Davies, and the crops of it were good for this kind of land,, 
which produces samples of malting quality. 
Oats were an excellent crop, part being Waterloo ; the others 
had very much the appearance of the winter variety, although 
they had been sown in the spring. 
Early dun and grey Warwick peas are planted : were a full 
crop, and forward, but had partially suffered from an attack of 
green fly. 
Beans are in some instances drilled with the vetches for sheep 
feed, the proportion being 5 pecks of the former to 6 of the 
latter. This crop we also saw grown on other farms, and were 
told that sheep are partial to it. 
The grass seeds are a mixture of i a bushel of Italian rye- 
