456 
Report of the Judges on the 
sufficiently discussed in the chapter on Land Tenure.* In ad- 
dition to the revenue which the city of Groningen derives from 
the annual payments of 1 fl. per acre by the Beklemde-meyers, 
and of the ordinary rents by short-term leaseholders, must be 
noted the tolls paid by barges and other vessels using the canals. 
From the budget of the city for the current year, it appears that 
the receipts from the leased lands were estimated at over 13,000/., 
and the total receipts from the Veen Colonien proper at 21,760/., 
while on the other hand, the disposal, &c., of the town manure 
was estimated to entail a charge of nearly 6000/. It should be 
added, however, that in the sum first mentioned is included the 
rent of some very fertile land in the celebrated Dollard Polder, 
in North Groningen. 
Inland Docks. — These Veen-colonien were in the old days 
great ship-building places, and many old sea-captains still live 
there, and pursue this or some other congenial calling ; but the 
ships now built are entirely barges, fitted to ply on the canals, 
steam having entirely swept away the rest of this trade from 
these curious inland docks. It would be interesting to learn the 
date at which the old and still favourite type of barge was first 
introduced. It must be eminently well-fitted for its purpose, as 
there is very little variation amongst the thousands that ply on 
the maze of inland Dutch waters. 
XXIX. — Report of the Judges on the Derby Prize-Farm Compe- 
tition, 1881. 
The district of the prize-farms last year comprised the entire 
counties of Cumberland and Westmoreland. This year the 
limits of competition extend to the whole county of Derby, and 
embrace any farm lying within 20 miles of the county-town. 
This district therefore extends to portions of four other counties 
besides Derbyshire, and its limits are not readily defined or 
easily portrayed. 
Unlike the picturesque and compact district reported on so 
eloquently last year by Mr. Little, we have nothing special to 
write of the geological formation, natural boundaries, special 
industries, or peculiar agriculture of the district. It is simply 
an average slice of the Midlands with its big towns and its 
mixed farming. Not much of the scenery is such as to call 
forth any of that "word painting" by which the reporter so 
charmingly diversified his last year's essay, making its perusal 
such a pleasing as well as useful study. 
* Vide Report, p. G50. 
