Report on the Farm-Pnze Competition of 1872. 289 
diminution of the corn crop is less felt than where little or no 
old land is available for mowing. 
Harvesting. — All the grain crop is cut with a Hornsby's 
2-horse reaper; 3 horses are, however, commonly yoked where 
the crop is heavy. The barley, as well as the wheat and 
oats, is tied, set up in stooks of 10 sheaves each, and left un- 
hooded. When the season is a wet one, "handmows," that 
is small conical piles of 4 or 5 stooks each, are found highly 
advantageous. The newly-cut corn is gathered by men, women, 
and boys, employed by the day, and, when thoroughly dry, is 
carried to the stack on well-built harvest-waggons drawn by 
2 horses each. The ricks are placed on vermin-proof stone and 
mortar stands, commonly round, and are covered with machine- 
made thatch ; and what we saw still standing in February 
were a pattern of neatness. The grain is threshed out by one 
of Clayton and Shuttleworth's portable machines, fitted with all 
the latest improvements, the power being derived from one of 
their portable 8-horse engines, which is also made available 
for chafF-cutting, grinding, root pulping, &c. 
Labourers, Wages, Cottages, ^-c. — Mr. Powell has a very intelli- 
gent and painstaking set of workpeople ; and, as he pays them 
well, and deals generously, yet firmly, with them, he has no diffi- 
culty in getting supplied. He acts as his own bailiff ; and this 
of itself fosters a kindly feeling between employer and employed. 
Below is given a list of the hands generally engaged on the farm, 
with the wages and perquisites of each. 
Qualification. 
Weekly Wages. 
Perquisites. 
Head Ploughman. 
s. 
14 
d. 
0 
Cottage and garden free. 
Second Ploughman. 
8 
0 
Board and lodgings free. 
Ploughboy. 
10 
0 
Head Cattleman. 
9 
6 
Board and lodgings free. 
Assistant Cattleman. 
8 
0 
Ditto ditto. 
Shepherd. 
13 
0 
Dinner on Sundays : cottage for Is. per 
■week. 
Boy. 
7 
0 
Labourer. 
12 
0 
Cottage and garden free. 
2 Labourers (each). 
13 
0 
3 Women (each). 
6 
0 
Having three cottages attached to the farm, Mr, Powell is, in 
this respect, better provided for than the generality of Welsh 
farmers. The three men shown as having board and lodgings 
free live in the farmhouse. They are engaged by the year, 
VOL. YIII. — S. S. U 
