544 Bepwt on the Farm Prize Competition in 
homes, containing five rooms each, and are held rent free by the 
tenants. Five single young men, with wages from 161. to 171., 
board in Mr. Machin's own house, and complete the ordinary 
staff of the farm. 
The horses of the farm are above an average for the class of 
land. They go out to grass in summer, and in winter, besides a 
liberal allowance of corn, each on coming home from work gets 
a goodly help from the linseed gruel tub, which seems to be a 
pretty universal institution in the two counties. 
The cattle and sheep are all bought for the farm, and none 
of them leave it till they are fit for the butcher ; for although 
both Mr. Curtis Machin and his brother, whose farm will he 
next noticed, may occasionally buy stock on commission for other 
people, such purchases are not brought home and temporarily 
fed upon their farms before resale, according to the practice of 
many ordinary dealers. A foal or two, a calf or two, and pigs 
only are bred. Some 100 to 150 cattle are generally finished 
during the winter and spring months, the greater part, if not 
all of which are the best class of Irish bullocks which can be 
bought in the autumn at York market, where they come then 
in great numbers and variety. Upon arrival they have roots 
thrown them for a time on the seeds, after which they are put 
at once into the yards. The standard allowance of cake seems 
to be about 10 lbs. per bullock. 
Mr. Machin prefers linseed-cakes, which, as well as all pur- 
chased feeding stuffs, are bought forward at the cheapest times. 
All beasts have pulped roots and straw chaff in unlimited quanti- 
ties. In the dark mornings of winter the horsemen help to feed 
them before they can see to work on the land, and again after 
they return in the afternoon, and nothing is given between. 
The bullocks appeared to be thriving well, and the practice is 
common in the neighbourhood, but the Judges thought the 
interval between meals decidedly too long. Three milch cows 
only are kept, and their produce sold as butter at Nottingham. 
Shearling sheep in fresh condition are bought in May to 
stock the seeds, and sold as they can be got fit from August 
onwards. As many half-bred lambs as the farm can carry are 
purchased from the Norfolk or Peterborough markets, and more 
afterwards for the turnips if required. Lincoln and Hampshire 
is a favourite cross, and many of the hoggets seen in December 
made from bOs. to 54,s'. out of their coats, and the lambs in the 
following July were bought with much judgment. If the trade 
is good the sheep are cleared off by the end of turnips in May. 
But as barley can be sown as late as May 14, when the seeds 
should be ready for stocking, the sheep are sometimes put on 
