Derby Prize-Farm Competition, 1881. 
479 
Mr. George Bryeu, Markeaton Park, near Derby. 
First-Prize Large Dairy Farm. — Class I. 
Mr. Bryer's farm is just the place for a milk trade, and he has 
made the trade to the place. Success often or mostly depends 
on the skill and discernment with which a business is made 
to suit its locality and surroundings ; this is especially true in 
respect to farming. Markeaton Park is two miles from Derby 
by a good road, and can scarcely lie better for supplying milk 
direct to Derby consumers. 
The whole of the land in the occupation of Mr. Bryer is 250 
acres. The home farm, the property of F. Noel Mundy, Esq., 
of Markeaton Hall, is 18G acres, 35 of which are arable. 
Another homestead, with 30 acres of grass-land, belongs to 
Capt. Evans, Derby : and 34 acres, also grass, are owned by 
Walter Evans, Esq., of Darley Abbey. It will be seen that 
Mr. Bryer has but a small part of his farm under the plough, 
but he thinks it quite enough. It is all strong red marl land of 
the New Red Sandstone formation, is not liable to burn, grows 
an excellent quality of grass, and is just the sort of land to retain 
manure. 
Two cottages are held with the farm, besides the house at 
Mile Ash ; the cottages are occupied by the labourers. 
Mr. Bryer's family has held the Markeaton Park Farm for 
a hundred years at least. The present occupier followed his 
father as tenant in 1854 at an advanced rent of 60Z. a year. He 
is not under the Agricultural Holdings Act, but is a yearly 
tenant, and under his agreement would receive compensation 
for the unexhausted value of the linseed and cotton-cake and corn 
used on the farm during the two previous years. A good sub- 
stantial house, built for the present tenant, stands with the back 
to a yard and front to a lawn, beyond which is the kitchen 
garden. The other three sides of the yard, which is flagged, 
are occupied by some very good buildings. A good six-horse- 
power fixed steam engine, by Abell, Derby, drives chaff-cutter, 
threshing-machine, pulper, corn-mill (3 ft. 6 in. French stones), 
and two cake-crushers. 
The cut chaff falls into a large cistern, and is steamed ; the 
steaming renders damaged hay palatable, obviates any danger 
from dust, and kills the seeds of all weeds that might be in the 
fodder. The chaff cistern opens into a mixing-house, and so do 
some large grain cisterns. On the same floor is a large iron 
boiler, in which meal, &c., can be cooked by steam. All the 
machinery is under the care of one of Mr. Bryer's sons when 
Mr. Bryer himself is not attending to it, and it is a great credit 
