586 
The Farm-Prize Competition, 1884. 
with a floor over for chaff-cutting, and a mixing-room, granary, 
&c., and piggeries under. The manure not accommodated in 
the covered yard is made into a heap below the buildings, and 
all the liquid from it wastes away. It would be a great im- 
provement if it were covered with a light roof, so as to protect 
it from rainfall. 
The dairy comprises 25 to 30 cows of good milking character, 
and mostly of Shorthorn type. At our winter visit we found 
30 cows in-milk and dry, 8 in-calf and barren heifers, 9 rearing 
calves, and 2 grade bulls, i.e. unpedigreed Shorthorns. At our 
second visit the total was increased by weaning calves to 
56 head. The bulls are carefully selected as the offspring of 
heavy milking cows by a pedigree sire ; they are serviceable 
animals, not smart or showy, and, as Mr. Miles rears a portion 
of his stock, the use of such animals is questionable policy, 
seeing that well-bred animals from good milking strains are so 
readily procurable. Being so near to Burton, grains are largely 
used, the ordinary prices being 4^cZ. a bushel in winter and 
2JfZ. in summer, a variation sufficiently great to render storing 
in large quantities desirable. A certain quantity can be laid 
up, but not nearly enough, and Mr. Miles spoke of amending his 
practice in this matter. Each cow in winter gets a bushel 
a day in two feeds, 4 lbs. of mixed linseed and cotton-cake, and 
two feeds of turnips and cabbage, followed later on by mangolds, 
from 30 to 40 lbs. a day, and tops with hay and straw ad libitum. 
This is liberal feeding, but we were surprised to find that, though 
Mr. Miles has all the machinery, including steam-power, for 
reducing the food and mixing the ingredients, he preferred to 
deal with them separately, probably on account of the saving of 
labour. In times of scarcity he approves of pulping, chaffing, 
&c. A considerable loss has occurred from abortion, for which 
no explanation has been found. Can this be the effect of grains, 
which are not always considered wholesome food for breeding 
animals ? 
At our visit in May, we found the cows, thirty in number, 
in their pasture, and were much pleased with their thoroughly 
useful character ; 46 acres of grass are provided, which they 
have in common with the horses ; they are brought home 
to milk, getting a bushel of grains to three cows, and 2 lbs. 
a head of decorticated cotton-cake. In order to keep up the 
milk-supply during winter, when prices are highest, some 
down calvers are bought each autumn, but the bulk of the 
herd are bred. As a precaution in hot weather, or when cows 
are fresh, a dose of salts is given before calving. The list is 
as follows : 30 cows in-milk, 2 feeding calves, 1 cow dry for 
calving, 3 in-calf heifers, 1 barren heifer, 3 yearling heifers, 
