Derby Farm- Prize Competition, 1881. 
487 
Potatoes, 0^ acres. 
Seeds, 16 ,, 
Oats, 9| „ Polish. 
Barley, 10 
Wheat, 1^ „ square head. 
Roots. — Mangolds, swedes, cabbages, and potatoes, have been 
treated alike as to preparation. In December we saw pairs of 
good horses stepping along at a great pace, ploughing the last 
of the field, which had been well cleaned. In February this was 
manured and ploughed again. 
Then the unruly Trent overflowed its banks in an unwonted 
manner and covered the field. The land was ridged in the 
spring, dung spread in the ridges, and they were split back, 
drilled 27 inches apart, and well rolled down. A tew ridges 
were left unrolled, and we easily picked them out in May and in 
July. The mangolds were not nearly so good as where the ridges 
had been made more solid — the rolled ridges had retained the 
moisture better. Both swedes and mangolds are very good and 
promise to make great crops. Potatoes, like most this year, 
look well, and the cabbage was thriving in July, though a grub 
had done much mischief awhile before. 
Seeds. — The " seeds " were tall and forward in May and all 
in stack in July — a capital stack of fodder, which Mr. Hellaby 
reckons at 50 cwt. per acre. On one part of the field, where 
the floods had been, there was little clover, but the Italian rye- 
grass was tall and thick ; this Lolium and Alsyke clover will 
stand flooding ; red clover will not. In the winter the seeds are 
grazed with sheep eating grains, roots, corn, and cake, so that 
when ploughed and sown with oats in spring, the land is in fine 
condition. 
Barley. — The 10 acres of barley at Twyford, and that at 
Stenson too, were grand crops in July, and promised quite 
6 qrs. to the acre. 
Wheat. — The variety growing is Square Head, and a very 
nice level crop it is, the land being quite clean. This wheat 
seems to be grown in preference to other varieties in this district, 
and it deserves to be a favourite. 
Hay. — Only 6i acres of meadow-hay is made, but a very 
good crop is nearly always secured, and this year is no excep- 
tion. Of clover-hay but 16 acres are cut. Though this was a 
very good crop, and all secured in splendid condition, this small 
quantity of hay would never winter all the stock Mr. Hellaby 
keeps without considerable help. This is given by cutting up 
all the oat and some other straw, adding grains, meal, &c. 
Grass-land. — As before hinted the Trent and wet seasons 
VOL. XVII. — S. S. 2 L 
