Tlie Farm-Prize Competition, 1884. 
515 
treatment, I believe this will be found advantageous, as saving 
time, bringing the animal into profit at an earlier period, and 
probably causing them to breed better in the following year. 
The experience was very varied. In one case, where the land 
was strong and the animals kept only in moderate condition, 
only 2 out of 20 proved in lamb, and these cast their lambs ; 
whilst in another every one produced a lamb ; and these, at the 
time of our second visit, were thriving and looking well. I 
think the system might be more successful if the management 
of the lambs included the use of a small quantity of artificial, 
and a greater change of natural food. In this way they would 
be more developed ; and the wethers might be sufficiently 
forwarded to be fit for the market at a year old : whereas, the 
almost universal practice is to finish them off on grass-land or 
seeds during a second summer. I cannot think that this is 
judicious, as more holding stock might be kept if the hoggs were 
finished off on turnips. 
Another practice, not universal but very general, was the 
carting to the homestead and the grass land of the whole of the 
root-crop, often at great cost, and carting back manure made 
from the consumption of the roots by store cattle eating straw. 
Where strong land prevails 'this may be a necessary evil, but it 
is certainly not desirable where the land is suitable for eating 
on. In one case, where the land was eminently suitable for 
sheep, the occupier admitted that formerly sheep consumed a 
part of the crops on the land, but he had got out of the practice 
and he could not tell why. In my opinion it would be more 
profitable to consume the bulk of the roots on the land ; and if 
such treatment is likely to make the land too rich for barley, 
then take wheat first, and follow with barley, by which process 
it is probable that the tendency to clover-sickness, which is so 
very often the case, would be obviated, partly by increasing the 
interval and more by improving the condition of the land ; for we 
found excellent crops, even though recurring at intervals of four 
years, in every case where the land was in really high condition. 
We were very much impressed with the economical manage- 
ment of labour, the cost, which will be given in every case 
described, will, we think, compare very favourably with most 
parts of the country. This is due to the thorough knowledge 
of work by the employers, and to their own exertions either in 
careful superintendence, or in active assistance. Thus it will be 
noted that on one of the dairy-farms, although not by any means 
a small undertaking, the farmer always makes one of the 
milkers, and the wife is the dairymaid. With such personal 
attention, no serious difficulty is experienced as to milking, 
which in some parts of the country is becoming a great trouble. 
