Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire in 1888 : Class 1. 557 
the last remaining portion of Lincoln Heatli to be enclosed, and 
the land is quite as light and poor as might be expected from 
that circumstance. The skill and capital expended upon it, 
however, are quite worthy of the best land of the country. The 
hedges are admirably kept, and would be very good but for the 
large number of overhanging trees, which are a great detriment 
to them and the crops. Mr. Howard had, we believe, almost the 
only large break of fully-planted swedes in his neighbourhood, 
but they were by no means so big as those of the Messrs. Machin ; 
nor do we think the land would grow them so in any season, 
although the soil looks very similar. The land was clean on the 
whole, though not entirely free from very small pieces of couch, 
which it would be very difficult to remove altogether from such 
dusty soil. The house, garden, roads, yards, premises, and 
buildings were faultlessly kept, and with no appearance of tem- 
porary effect. The wheat was thin, as everywhere else, but the 
barley excellent for the land. The pride of the farm, however, 
is the splendid flock of Lincoln sheep which was started by 
Mr. Howard in 1849 from the oldest and most noted strains. 
No expense has since been spared in selecting the best males 
from the first Lincoln breeders, and Mr. Howard's rams meet a 
good foreign and home demand at high prices. Several have 
made 30 and 40 guineas, and 60 guineas has been reached. 
A hundred are sold every year, and those which we saw in July 
were a grand lot of sheep of very unusual size and substance.' 
Mr. Howard also breeds all his cattle from a valuable old strain 
of Lincoln reds in much demand, and is very successful too with 
young blood stock, sired by good stallions, the use of which 
is granted on favourable terms by Mr. Chaplin, for whom Mr. 
Howard is agent. 
It would be difficult also to speak too highly of the manage- 
ment and appearance of another forest farm, namely, that 
occupied by Mr. Bowles, of Lyndhurst. The premises and all 
the surroundings, the hedges and gates, and all pertaining to 
the farm, were models of neatness and good order which nothing 
could at any rate excel. The crops, too, were very good for the 
land. The young turnips looked remarkably well in July, and 
the full-grown ones in winter and spring were almost, if not 
quite, as good as those of the Messrs. Machin. The general 
system, too, is similar to theirs, the chief exception being that a 
' The Judf^es had great pleasure in recommending to the Council for a 
certificiite and gratuity Mr. Howard's shepherd, Thomas Claj-, who has been a 
very valuable and competent servant to him for twenty-seven years, and his 
yardsman, George Haj ward, who has been in Mr. Howard's service for twenty- 
five years. 
