The BerhsUire Farm Prize Competition^ 1882. 555 
Mr. Davies has during his tenancy taken up 137 chains of 
•useless fences at a cost of 55Z., and has chalked the land at his 
own expense. 
The farm-buildings are conveniently disposed near the house, 
and two large corn-sheds have been recently added by the land- 
lord. The premises are good and suitable for the occupation, 
but the stable, in the opinion of the Judges, required more light. 
A capital assortment of implements, all in good repair 
(including reapers, mowers, and threshing tackle, which are 
let out for hire), and when not in use are carefully housed, and a 
valuable lot of machinery for preparing food for the stock is 
fixed on a large upper floor, and can all be driven by a portable 
engine from an adjoining shed. Threshing and chaff-cutting 
are also carried on at the same time. 
The whole of the arrangement has been ingeniously devised 
by Mr. Davies, assisted by his son, who drives the engine, and 
has evidently a bent for mechanics. 
The bulk of the land on this farm is by no means of high 
natural fertility, probably less so than that on most of the com- 
peting farms, yet the management is so good, and the results 
obtained by persevering industry are so satisfactory, that the 
Judges had pleasure in recommending that an extra prize of 
25/. be given in this class to Mr. Davies. 
In Class 2 only one entry was made, and this the Judges 
considered was devoid of all the qualifications expected in a 
prize-farm, and its introduction was ill-advised. 
The farm accounts kept by the competitors, we found un- 
satisfactory as a reliable guide in estimating the results obtained, 
owing to the absence of yearly valuations and balance-sheets. 
In some instances, really sound practical farmers had for the 
first time attempted book-keeping, in connection with this 
competition, and by this time have probably abandoned it as a 
hopeless task. 
The duties connected with farm-judging are onerous, and 
entail a large amount of anxiety and physical labour ; at the 
same time much valuable information is obtained, and pleasant 
associations are formed. 
In the discharge of our task we have gratefully to acknow- 
ledge the hospitality extended to us on all occasions, and the 
information most willingly imparted, and it was a source of 
much satisfaction to ourselves that unanimity prevailed in all 
our decisions. 
James Long. 
William Parsons. 
John H. Blundell. 
