Report on the Farm-Prize Competition of 1872. 321 
Nowhere, in following our judicial functions, were we thrown 
in contact with any large breeder of the far-famed and justly 
celebrated Welsh " Nag." We must, therefore, pass over, 
without further comment, this very interesting and important 
branch of Welsh farming. The agricultural horses met with 
were generally small, and, although active and wiry, were wanting 
in symmetry and power, and would be greatly improved by the 
infusion of Clydesdale blood. The treatment of the farm- 
horses is in a few cases peculiar. While stabled by some in 
winter, and turned out to grass in summer, there are many 
farmers whose cart-horses always lie in large open yards at 
night, six or eight — the whole lot, in fact — together, and are tied 
in the stalls morning and evening to receive the best part of 
their food. Again, we met with one very good and intelligent 
farmer, whose four regularly used horses have never " laid in " 
for eleven years ; we refer to Mr. Henry Price, of Undy, near 
Chepstow. Receiving their corn and hay in a low, dark stable, 
these horses are turned into an adjoining paddock for the night, 
and although, as may be inferred, not very sleek in the coat or 
beautiful to look at, they appear healthy and in fair working 
condition ; in fact, not one of the four has ever been off work 
during the period of time mentioned. Need we say that this 
is strong evidence that the winter is much milder, and the 
temperature many degrees higher, than in the north of England ? 
On many of the farms we visited, the activity and endurance of 
the horses are often severely and wastefully taxed by the scattered 
and isolated situation of many of the fields ; portions of the farm, 
even in small holdings, being not urfrequently 1^ to 2 miles 
distant from the inconvenient and inadequate premises. 
Pigs, if it be possible, receive even less attention than the 
cattle-stock, and are as varied in colour as they are untraceable 
in breed. Surely, if a thing is worth doing at all it is worth 
doing well, and we would strongly urge the desirability of be- 
stowing more pains on these useful and highly profitable sca- 
vengers of the farm. 
One remarkable circumstance, not to say serious drawback, in 
connection, not only with the farms we examined, but, according 
to information we gathered, applying to the entire district, is the 
almost total absence of leases, or even of ordinary written agree- 
ments. It is usual to blame the landlords for omissions of this 
kind ; but in this case, at least, we believe the tenants are more in 
fault. At any rate, while we heard of no large landed proprietor 
having refused to grant leases to deserving applicants, we were 
told that one owner of vast and well managed estates had 
offered this boon to his farmers, and yet, during two years, 
only three have come forward to claim the proffered privilege. 
However, be the blame where it may, we are stronglv opposed to 
VOL. VIII. — S. S. Y 
