The Farm-Prize Competition, 1884. 
549 
sown broadcast. Biddell's imperial white wheat, on clover- 
ley limed, was a full plant, and looked strong. 
The fences throughout the farm were in a very improving 
condition ; those between the tillage land are kept slashed ; those 
against grass are allowed to grow up for shelter, and are laid 
when necessary. This work is done by contract, at Is. 3rf. for 
eight yards, including the cleaning out of the ditch. In 1881, 
forty-seven additional acres were taken. This land was in a bad 
state, and after fallowing it was laid to grass in 1882. The 
landlord gave seeds for eleven acres, the tenant did all the rest, 
as well as found all manure. Considering the nature of the 
land, and the short period since sowing, the appearance of this 
land was decidedly satisfactory. Much of the old grass-land is 
poor, and some requires draining. 
An alteration of plan, and a late postal delivery, resulted in 
our visit on May 26th, being a day before we were expected, 
and we found the tenant hard at work with his men shearing, 
work which he executed with great skill ; indeed the personal 
exertions of the tenant and his sisters form an element of economy 
that must not be overlooked. Commencing my remarks with 
the sheep stock, which require judicious handling on a farm 
where the land is nearly all strong, I may notice that the 
breeding animals appeared generally healthy, but that the lambs 
were rather dry in their coats, and it was evident that warm 
rain to freshen up the keep was much wanted. With the excep- 
tion of slight showers, no weight of rain had visited the farm 
for a period of eight weeks. On our first visit we found fifty- 
seven useful healthy looking ewes on grass, with a little hay ; 
fifty-nine wether hoggs, also on grass, with whole sv/edes, which, 
at our suggestion, were afterwards cut, with evident advantage, 
and these sheep then had half a pound of old oats per day ; 
and thirty-six ewe hoggs, a very useful lot on fog, Avere getting a 
few white swedes. Mr. Mellings put the ram with his younger 
ewes for the first time last autumn, and is not likely to repeat 
the experiment ; only two proved in lamb, and these cast their 
lambs. It is evident that his land, and the treatment he adopts, 
is not suited to such a forcing system. The conditions are not 
favourable to early development. Of the 57 stock ewes only two 
proved barren, and the remainder yielded 90 lambs, of which six 
died during the cold east winds of early May. The rest of the 
flock comprised 35 shearling ewes, 55 shearling wethers, which 
were hoped be to fed out during the summer with cake on grass ; 
and 5 rams, making a total of 236 head. Considering the strong 
nature of the land, the management of the sheep appeared 
suitable and sensible, and we question if better results would be 
possible by any more forcing system. 
The cattle were thriving and healthy looking, but not large or 
