.The Farm Prize Competition o/1891. 
571 
Class I. Commended Faem, 
j Occupied by Mr. Smith E. ParJcin, Melton Brand, near Doncaster. 
This is anotlaer of the farms easily reached from Doncaster, 
and is on the limestone formation. It is a very nice occupation, the 
fields being fairly even in size and quality, but the grass land, 
except a paddock or two, is a mile or more away, and not of very 
! first-rate quality when reached. 
Mr. Parkin's farm pupils, who rightly have to do a little 
work when at Melton Brand, were pleasantly occupied in 
taking the young cattle backwards and forwards, at the April 
visit, until they got hardened and could stay out. Another 
pupil was driving the engine when sawing rails, &c., for fencing 
i the fields. 
] The pupils, perhaps, learn more farming here than at many 
! places, owing to the system on which they are taken being that 
of paying more the first year, less the second, and much less 
the third, in proportion to the amount of work they do. 
The farm consists of 430 acres in all, of which 287 are arable 
and 143 grass. It is held under Mr. Montagu, Melton Park, 
and has only been in the hands of the present tenant about five 
years. 
I The buildings were in good order, their usefulness being 
greatly enhanced by a large covered yard, put up by the landlord, 
who was also fixing a set of new gates and posts in the fields 
where required. 
A modified four-course system of farming is practised, but 
about thirty acres of potatoes are planted instead of wheat on 
I the seeds, which necessarily causes other slight deviations. 
I Nice pieces of swedes were being eaten on the land in the 
winter, and had 12 loads of manure with 5 cwt. of dissolved 
bones, said to be bones and acid only, the white turnijjs being 
treated with mineral phosphate instead. 
In the June visit, on the first day of the Royal Show, the 
swedes were nicely up, but, in common with much of this lime-' 
stone land, a very nasty crust had formed on the ridges, not 
only at Melton but generally in the district. 
On some of the farms a roller had been run on the ridges, 
doing a little good ; but Mr. Parkin has one of the Royal Prize 
Turnip Drills, made by Yates, of Doncaster, who has so altered 
the frame that side hoes can be attached behind, not only 
rising and falling with the rollers, but following any deviation 
in the straightness of the ridges. ■ 
The illustration of the drill (fig. 2) on the following page 
p I' 2 
