560 Rejpwt on the Farm Piize Competition in 
either. To have taken 1,000 acres of land, as Mr. Beasley's 
accounts show that he has clone, with a total outlay of some 
6,000L, whilst maintaining or improving its cleanliness and 
fertility, seems in itself to be a very creditable performance. 
The system pursued by Mr. Brown, of Apjjlehy, differs very 
much from that of other competitors whose farms have been 
noticed, but there is much that is highly commendable about it. 
Mr. Brown seems to be thoroughly possessed with the commer- 
cial spirit. He is one of those men, not perhaps so commonly 
met with amongst farmers, who are ever watchful, and ready to 
turn to good account any possible venture, old or new, which may 
offer a reasonable chance of success. Alas that there should be 
so few opportunities of profitable departure from the ruts of our 
forefathers ! Mr. Brown grows potatoes, celery, or anything 
else likely to answer his purpose, for the Loudon or other mar- 
kets. It is to be feared that potato-growing is being consider- 
ably overdone, but Mr. Brown has convinced himself from past 
experience that he can hold his own against ordinary competition, 
by reason, for one thing, of the nature of his soil. It is of good 
staple, and above the limestone, or, in other places, of a sandy 
subsoil, and well adapted, under proper cultivation, to produce 
not only a good weight of tubers, but roots of such quality as 
will always command a preference in the market. That the 
risks are great, the fluctuations in the receipts of past years 
abundantly prove ; but Mr. Brown is keenly observant, and 
liumours popular fancies for new varieties, and so forth. But 
in any case the expense of the crop is more certain than its 
lucrative returns, and when it is planted so extensively as Mr. 
Brown plants it, everything else on the farm has at times to give 
way to its requirements. Ko less than 100 acres of land are 
under potatoes at Appleby, and the Judges were much impressed 
at their July visit by their general appearance. The land might 
be called in perfect tilth and cleanliness, and the crop was of 
the utmost pi'omise. It had received 15 loads of home-made or 
purchased manure, 2 cwts. sulphate of ammonia, 1 cwt. muriate 
of potash, and 4 cwts. of superphosphate per acre, and the system 
of cultivation, which perhaps it is hardly necessary to describe 
minutely, is conducted on the best and most improved principles. 
The growth of celery is also being extended, and the expenses 
necessary for its successful cultivation are much greater even 
than that for the potatoes. Some measure of the skill which is 
applied to it may be gathered from the fact that 13 roots of it, 
taken from an ordinary field row, weighed 58 lbs. 
Sheep are bred on the farm, and the management of the ewe 
flock is very enlightened and successful. More attention was 
