574 
The Farm-Prize Competition, 1884. 
Messrs. Crane and Tanner, and Mr. Bowen-Jones, well-known 
sheep-breeders, are his neighbours on the same estate, the light 
and friable character of the tillage land which largely prevails 
being well suited for sheep, whilst the useful meadows on the 
banks of the Severn make good rearing ground for the valuable 
Hereford cattle, and grand cart-horses, which, after the flock, are 
the pride of Montford. Mr. Minton, who holds the diplomas 
of the Royal Agricultural College and the Royal Agricultural 
Society, has not been idle since he took the farm, and much 
work of renovation and improvement has been carried out by 
landlord and tenant, the latter having grubbed up a large area 
of useless fences {2\ miles), and planted new fences where 
requisite. The landlord has supplied half-a-mile of continuous 
iron fencing, for which a very reasonable interest is charged. 
The work was in progress at our first visit. The noble owner 
has made great alterations and additions to the buildings, the 
tenant finding horse-labour. The principal business has been 
the conversion of an open shed into a summer sheep-house, and 
the filling up of rough uneven ground to make a suitable outrun, 
and the construction of a capital shelter-shed for the open yards, 
which are fenced with stone posts, and two-inch gas-piping, the 
lowest rail being cleverly made use of as a water-pipe. I regret 
that I am not able to give a ground plan, to illustrate what may 
well be regarded as most suitable appliances for a speciality, 
viz., the preparing sheep for show and sale purposes. 
Although Mr. Minton has been principal for so short a time, 
he found good material to work upon, and has made his mark, 
both in the showyard and the sale-ring, " ■Montford Hero," the 
first prize shearling at Derby, having been let by auction to 
Messrs. Crane and Tanner for the season at 205 guineas, the 
highest figure on record. He again was successful at Reading, 
where he stood first as a two-shear, and was let for 70 guineas. 
Last year, 1883, he was used at home, and is likely to work 
for another year or two. The money prizes won by this sheep 
amount to 80Z. At the same sale referred to, i.e. in 1881, a pen 
of shearlings made 30 guineas each, and last year the average of 
the draft shearling ewes was 9Z. 13s. ; and Mr. Minton states 
that the average annual price per head of sheep of every descrip- 
tion sold during the past four years is 10/. 
In January we found 132 in-lamb ewes, a splendidly even 
lot as to size, and very matching in char.acter, 69 ewe lambs and 
91 tup lambs, with three or four older rams, making a total of 
296 head. All the males are reared entire, the drafts going to the 
butcher, when found not good enough for service. The tup lambs 
were on roots sliced, and having ^ lb. of cake and peas per diem, 
with chop and a little hay. The ewe lambs were similarly treated, 
