Report on the Farm- Prize Competition, 1870. 271 
Making nearly A of white corn, pulse and seeds, and ,'; roots, 
exclusive of the 44 acres of sainfoin. The roots this year 
consisted of — 
40 acres of Mangokl-wurzel. 
70 „ Swedes. 
20 ,, Turnips, after vetches or seeds. 
17 „ Piape, after ditto. 
147 
The land intended for roots is broken up as deeply as possible 
by steam-cultivation or a four-horse plough. Mangolds are sown 
on the ridge 27 inches apart, about the middle of April, and 
receive 12 or 14 loads of farmyard dung, 2|- cwt. of best 
Peruvian guano, and two cwts. of superphosphate. 
Swedes are also sown on the ridges about the tenth of May, 
and are manured with farmyard dung, 1^ cwt. of guano, and 
2 cwt. of superphosphate. The turnips after vetches are sown 
on the flat, and have about 4 cwt. of superphosphate only. 
The mangolds are all carted off and stored in the usual way ; 
one-third of the swedes are carted off, and the remainder fed on 
the ground, by sheep eating corn and cake. Wheat is generally 
grown after mangolds, and barley after swedes and turnips. 
Barley and oats are also grown after wheat sown as early as 
possible, 7 to 10 pecks of seed being drilled 8 inches apart ; the 
plants are horse-hoed, and a top-dressing of nitrate of soda is 
applied in the spring. 
Seeds are drilled after the crop has been horse-hoed; red 
clover is generally sown, and but little or no ryegrass. 
The seeds are ploughed up early for wheat ; no manure of any 
kind is applied in the autumn, but heavy top-dressings of nitrate 
of soda (as much as 1^ cwt. per acre) are applied in the spring. 
Talavera and Browick red, and a mixture of white and red 
wheats, are usually sown. From 4 to 8 pecks of seed are drilled 
10 inches apart early in September ; all the wheat is horse- 
hoed, with Garrett's hoe, early in spring ; it is generally cut by 
the fagging-hook, at a cost of iQs. per acre. 
No cattle are kept in the summer, but good shorthorn steers 
are bought in the autumn, and are made fat upon roots and cake 
in the foldyards and boxes. 
A flock of 500 Oxford Down ewes is kept, which breed on an 
average about 25 lambs to the score ewes. All the produce are 
kept highly and made fat, and sold at about 12 months old ; the 
draft ewes are also all fattened off. 
About 100 pigs are kept. They are called the Oxfordshire 
breed, and are a coarse sort with a good deal of flesh These 
are led very much on roots, supplemented by meal, but no 
cooking, only cold mixing. 
