Tiie lai-m Prize Competition 0/ 1891, 
565 
trim hedges, the farm presented a very creditable appearance 
On our June visit. 
The serious drop in the value of corn mentioned above has 
naturally caused ISiv. Staveley to look more to stock, especially 
sheep, and the returns sent to Government in June 1890 are 
larger by nearly 200 than those for 1877. The very detailed 
list of live stock handed in showed 31 horses, 20 of which 
worked the farm, 88 cattle, 766 sheep, and 62 pigs. 
The land not being suitable, Shire horses are not bred on 
the farm, but one or two useful horses have to be bought now 
and then, to supply the wear and tear caused by the working 
of so much arable land. A small stud of Hackneys, eligible for 
or entered in the stud-book, is, however, being commenced, and 
a hunter at a good round sum is occasionally sold. 
The cattle are most of them bred on the place, a very useful 
bull being kept. Eden Butterfly, the one now at the head of the 
herd, was purchased of Sir R. Gr. Musgrave, Bart., Eden Hall, 
Cumberland, and its dam gave 2-1 quarts of milk in one day. 
The bullocks are fed in the yards, presumably more to supply 
good manure than much profit, but some very useful ones were 
disposed of fat during our visit. 
The cows are kept for dairy and breeding purposes, and 
when dry run in the yards, receiving a little cotton-cake, 
turnips, chopped oat-straw, and oat-straw ad lib. The new milk 
is given to the calves for about 14 dvjs, then gradually reduced 
to old with the addition of a mUk substitute, the endeavour 
afterwards being to keep them in good condition by a few roots, 
ground oats, union cake, and a little linseed dust. They are 
not allowed to go out during the first summer. 
Sheep, more than cattle, on a thin Wold farm naturally adapt 
themselves to the situation, and IMr. Staveley keeps them in 
large numbers, the bulk being what he terms Improved Leices- 
ters, a larger Leicester than the old-fashioned breed. A small 
flock of Oxford Downs has been commenced, sheep of the very 
best blood only being purchased or used, a two-shear ram from 
Mr. Treadwell's flock running with the ewes last season. 
On our June visit, nineteen very useful rams were progress- 
ing for sale in the autumn, and the 50 ewes had by their sides 
80 very forward lambs. 
Nearly 300 ewes were running on the seed pastures. They 
were of the Leicester breed, and had with them a very heavy 
fall of lambs, which were not quite in such good condition as 
their mothers, the latter being almost too fat, if anything. 
Half a pound of cotton-cake per ewe is allowed, and the lambs, 
when taken off, get a mixture of cake and oats. 
