Nottingliamshire and Lincolnshire in 1888 : Class 1. 543 
Very little over 3 quarters per acre are locked for in ordinary- 
seasons. 
The wheat stubbles, weather permitting, are all invariably 
broken and crossed with a narrow share cultivator in the autumn, 
and in accordance with Notts custom the stubble, and what 
couch-grass there may be — and some will inevitably appear on 
this land after two years' seeds — is collected and stacked in the 
fields, whence it is drawn to the yards for litter in winter. The 
land is then ploughed clean and deep with the American digging 
ploughs, of which Mr. Machin has the highest opinion, so much 
so that he has ceased to use his double-furrow ploughs, and 
intends to break them up. More ploughing and dragging take 
place in spring to kill any chance weeds which may still have 
escaped. It would be difficult, if not impossible, to keep the 
farm so clear from couch as it is by spring cultivation only, the 
land running so much to dust at that time. The fallows are 
limed every ten years, at the rate of three to four tons per acre, and 
at the cost of lis. per ton at Linby Station, three miles distant. 
The lime is put on in little heaps and spread when slacked, and 
no operation is more essential. It improves all the crops, cures 
" anbury " in the turnijDS, and keej)S down sorrel and other indige- 
nous weeds. Without it the farm would probably be worthless. 
The grass land, which lies a little distance from the main 
holding, together with one field of arable, is also of very poor 
quality, and is useful only as a change and stowage for young 
store beasts and for shearlings. 
Notwithstanding the very remarkably light expenditure for 
labour, IGs. to 17s. per week is paid to full men in these low 
times, and the price appears to be above the average for the 
district. Mr. Machin is a gi'eat believer in the economy to 
master and man of good wages, if thoroughly earned, and 
certainly poor service would nowhere be at a greater discount. 
Where, as here, master and son are able and willing to illustrate 
a good day's work by their own example, it is no doubt difficult 
for the men to shirk it. As an instance of what can be done in 
this way, and for one department only, Mr. Machin's son has 
trimmed 1,070 yards of his beautiful hedges in a single day. 
The labourers work from six to six with an hour for dinner, and 
the teams from six to three. 
The schedule shows that Mr. C. Machin contrives to keep 
his labour bill down to the — as far as the writer's experience 
goes — unprecedentedly low figure of 15s. per acre taking the 
whole farm, and 17s. per acre for the arable land only. 
There is cottage accommodation on the farm for four out of 
the five married men employed upon it. They are very good 
