50G 
Report of the Judges on the 
On the Abbey Farm, during the seven years it has been in my 
occupation, since my late father's decease, from 25 to 30 acres 
have been regularly drained 4 feet deep at my sole cost, and 
one field 6 acres permanently seeded. 
On one side of the farm, where some exchange of land was 
made, about a mile of useless hedges was taken out at my cost. 
Nearly 40 acres of young turf have been specially treated with 
repeated top-dressings, or large consumption of such feeding- 
stuffs as decorticated cotton-cake and malt-dust on the land, with 
a thoroughly successful result in the improvement of the turf. 
I have been connected with the management of the Abbey 
Farm from a boy, and I took an active part of it in the later 
years of my father's lifetime. On the Hollington Farm, I claim 
to have brought the land from very moderate turf, into most 
productive feeding-land, chiefly by the aid of cake-feeding and 
small dressings of mineral superphosphate and nitrate of soda. 
This land has been actually in my occupation for 19 years. 
Description of Root Culture. — The land intended for roots is 
ploughed 7 inches deep as early in the autumn as it can be done, 
care being taken not to plough strong land when wet. 
Where any couch or weeds exist on the corn-stubbles, they 
are scarified and cleaned as soon as cleared after harvest, but 
in a late harvest or a wet autumn this cannot be thoroughly 
done. Where land is, as I generally have it, clean and free 
from annuals, I do not consider autumn cultivation necessary. 
Dung is never applied for roots in the autumn, as it has 
been found that it makes strong soil too retentive of moisture, 
and prevents the land from working freely in the spring. 
In frosty weather fresh dung is carted to large heaps against 
the land where it is required. 
In March this is carted on the land intended for cabbages, 
20 tons per acre, spread and ploughed in during dry weather. 
The land is then left untouched until the middle or latter end of 
April, when the surface is thoroughly stirred with a cultivator 
or iron harrows, and 4 cvvts. mineral superphosphate (26 per 
cent, sol.), and 3 cwts. of fish-guano, are sown broadcast or with 
a manure drill, and worked in on the surface made fine and 
level. It is then marked out both ways with the tines of a 
drill, and set the desired distance (about 30 inches). Wherever 
the marks intersect each other, a plant is set ; all measuring is 
thus avoided, and the crop can be horse-hoed both ways. 
The cabbage-plants (Drumhead) are grown in a large garden 
from seed sown in August. 
In June, 2 cwts. per acre of nitrate of soda, when not too 
dear, are sown on the plants before they get large ; this addi- 
tional dressing largely increases the weight in a good season. 
