Sewage Farm Competition, 1879. 
11 
It will be seen from the foregoing statement of account that if 
the cost of pumping the sewage is cleducted, which is fairly not 
an item of farm expenditure, the farm shows a profit. At least 
lialf the farm is very poor land, which is hired at a stiff price, 
three times what it is worth to an ordinary farmer. The Cor- 
poration, however, have the advantage of farming a portion of 
the land under the Duke of Bedford, and therefore came in for 
an abatement of half a year's rent during the past year (1879) ; 
and, moreover, the land subject to this abatement in rent is some 
of the very best on the whole sewage farm. 
The cropping of the farm for the past year (1879) was as fol- 
lows : — 
A. 
R. 
p. 
A. 
E. P. 
, 12 
0 
0 
Brought forward .. 
129 
3 20 
20 
0 
0 
3 
0 0 
0 
0 
20 
Kidney beans 
1 
1 0 
6 
0 
0 
0 
3 0 
Prickly comfrcy .. 
. 0 
1 
0 
Cabbage (spring) .. 
4 
2 0 
4 
1 
0 
0 
0 20 
20 
1 
0 
0 
1 20 
1 
0 
Currant trees, &c 
2 
0 0 
6 
1 
0 
2 0 
Wheat 
, 16 
0 
0 
Pasture in hand 
7 
2 0 
26 
0 
0 
Savoys (cabbage) ., 
5 
0 0 
Oats 
, 15 
2 
0 
Eoads, carriers, &c. 
6 
1 2 
Carried forward 
. 129 
3 
20 
Total acreage of farm . 
.183 
0 22 
Bye^grass. — The rye-grass on this farm is allowed to stand for two years. 
It is sown in the autumn or in spring, as circumstances require. Experience, 
however, at Bedford shows that this crop has deteriorated in value, so that 
last year they did not realise more than 71. 13s. id. per acre for it. This 
falling off in value is principally due to the fact that there has been such an 
abundance of grass during the last two years that there has been no great 
demand for the rye-grass. The green crops yield nothing like the sum they 
ought to produce. This is due, in a measure, to the fact that the Corporation 
have to sell the produce in a district which is at all times well ))rovided with 
green food. The chief drawback to this farm appears to be the absence of 
live stock, but we understand that the Corporation, since our last insjjection, 
have erected a complete set of farm buildings to accommodate twenty-four 
milking cows, with open sheds for young stock and piggeries ; also a resi- 
dence for the farm manager ; and they may reasonably expect that a well- 
managed dairy-farm, so conveniently situated for the sale of milk, will pay 
lairly well. 
Potatoes. — Potatoes are planted on the flat, 18 inches to 30 inches from 
row to row, and the distance of the tubers in the rows varying from 
15 inches to 18 inches apart, depending upon the variety of potato grown. Early 
Ashleaf and Magnum Bonum are the kinds most liked. The potatoes are full 
of top. A dressing of stable-dung is applied to the land. The potato crop is 
not irrigated with sewage during the period of growth. The farm manager 
reported, November 7th, 1879, that the Magnum Bonum potatoes are 
entirely free from disease, and that they have just finished digging over 
30 tons of splendid stuff, the produce of seven acres. 
Mangolds. — Mangolds are planted on the flat, as are all other crops on this 
