Sewage Farm Competition, 1879. 
79 
old heifers, fifteen two-year-old steers, thirty-three one-year-old 
steers, fifty calves and three bulls, making in the whole 257 head 
of cattle. All the stock are well-bred shorthorns. The cows 
are milked to within about two months of calving, and they 
yield on an average two gallons of milk per head per day all 
the year round. The milk is partly sold in Reading and partly 
sent to the London market. It realises lOd. per four quarts, 
except that sold in London, which is sold at three prices, viz., 
Is. Sd., Is. Qd., and Is. 4:d. per barn gallon. The milking-cows 
are fed in the summer on Italian rye-grass, and each cow also 
receives some fine pollards, the quantity depending on the state 
of the rye-gmss. In the winter the milking-cows are fed on man- 
golds, cut hay, and fine and coarse pollards, and they sometimes 
have a few crushed oats. The calves are not allowed to suck 
the cows, but are reared by hand on Simpson's meal and new 
milk until they are old enough to turn out. Steers are sold fat 
when about two years old. The heifers are put into the herd. 
The barren cows on the farm were an excellent lot, and would 
soon be ready for the butcher. The yearlings were good and 
healthy, and seemed to be doing very well. The bulls on the 
farm are " King of the Roses " (86,853), " Baron Havering 
13th," by "3rd Duke of Geneva" (23,753), and "Wanderer," 
by " Earl of Ashfield " (36,571). The milking-cows were clean, 
well kept, and in good condition, four men being employed to 
look after them, and they are assisted by four others in milking. 
Horses. — Nineteen horses, mostly of French breed, are kept 
on the farm ; and in addition to ordinary farm work they are 
engaged for some period in the year drawing manure and 
refuse from Reading to the farm, and in the preparation of 
fresh land for sewage purposes. 
Buildings. — The old farm buildings, which are mostly wooden 
barns, have been converted into capital places for the young 
stock. New buildings have been erected for the milking-stock, 
horses, &c. These buildings are well planned, and contain 
every convenience for preparing the food of the stock. There 
is a steam-engine on the premises which drives the food- 
preparing machinery, pulper, mill, &c. ; and for mixing the food 
there are convenient places, which are connected with the cattle 
sheds by tramways. The manure is also removed in small 
trucks running on tramways direct from the sheds to the 
manure pits, which consist of water-tight and shallow pits. 
The cows all stand on open-slated wooden floors, an arrange- 
ment which is considered to save litter. Water is laid on to 
each of the sheds, and the whole buildings are very complete 
and suitable for their purpose. The sum of 5090Z. 17s. 4,d. has 
been expended by the Corporation of Reading in constructing 
