Report on the Farm-Prize Competition of 1872. 303 
Farming highly, Mr. Owen now finds that he can dispense with 
a regular rotation. Oats, although they have yielded 90 bushels 
per acre, do not pay so well as wheat, which is accordingly 
grown to the exclusion of the other cereals, and occupies this 
vear 35 acres. Following after seeds, green crop, and sainfoin, 
white Essex wheat is deposited with the lO-furrow drill, 7 inches 
between the rows. The seed well vitrioled is subsequently dried 
by mixing with lime and salt, and 2^ bushels per acre are put in 
early in spring ; this year on February the 9th and 10th. The 
spring-sown wheats are found to be less liable to blight and to lose 
plant, and are altogether more reliable than those sown in autumn. 
A month previous to drilling, 10 cwt. per acre of salt is distributed 
broadcast on the land intended for wheat : a top-dressing of 1 cwt. 
of nitrate of soda with 2 cwts. of salt is applied in April or early 
in May ; hand-weeding is pursued when necessary. On the 
I occasion of the visit of the Judges on June 17th, the wheat was 
remarkably clean, beautifully level, of a dark luxuriant hue, just 
coming into ear, and promising a return of 60 bushels per acre. 
It is unnecessary to advert to the money-value of such a crop ; 
but the 35 cwts. of straw would evidently of itself fetch 5Z., and 
a good margin of profit would hence remain even after allowing 
8/. per acre for rent, rates, labour, and manures. 
The grass-seeds are deposited with a broadcast drill amongst 
the wheat, and usually consist of 16 lbs. per acre of mixed 
clovers, with a peck of Italian rye-grass. Generally they produce 
an aggregate yield of five tons per acre, and are cut twice. The 
third crop, usually estimated at l^ton, is folded over with sheep, 
getting cake and corn in the same way as when on roots. On 
17th June, a crop standing 5 feet high, and yielding not less 
than three tons per acre, was being cut with scythes, at a cost of 7*. 
with two quarts of beer for each man daily. Six or seven acres 
of trifolium are annually grown on the wheat-stubbles, partly 
used green, and the remainder converted into hay. Common 
turnips follow, are got in towards the end of June, are forced 
with a good dose of artificial manure, and, fertilized by the 
frequent mists from the Bristol Channel, they produce sound and 
heavy crops. 
Appreciating the advantage of having his workpeople handy, 
> Mr. Owen has four cottag-es. Besides stabling: in connection 
with the house, there are two small convenient sets of farm pre- 
mises, each standing round three sides of a square, built of stone 
and slated, spouted, and the rain-water carefully stored for use in 
large wrought-iron tanks. Chaff-cutter, corn-crusher, root-pulper, 
and cake-bruiser are worked by horse-power ; light waggons, 
some of Cowbridge manufacture, costing from 22/. to 26Z., are 
1 used for hay, harvest, and other work ; for carriage of manure 
