Farm-Prize Competition, 1880. 
543 
not extinct in this locality). Sometimes the cultivator alone is 
used after one ploughing. They are then ridged at 28 inches 
apart, and get about 12 loads of first-rate dung per acre for 
swedes, and nearer 20 loads for mangolds, of which only about 
4 acres are annually sown. About half an acre is generally 
sown with carrots, and this completes the break of root-land. 
The Yellow Globe mangolds are preferred on this farm, in contra- 
vention of the usual practice of the district, which is to sow Long 
Red. But the mangold crop is a very unimportant one here. 
Probably, on the average of years, a greater bulk of swedes can 
be obtained than of mangolds, and therefore only a few are grown 
for use at the extreme end of the season. A few Pomeranian 
white turnips — about 7 or 8 acres — are also grown for eai4y 
use. 
The swedes, in addition to the farmyard-manure, get about 8 or 
10 cwt. per acre of superphosphate and half-inch bones mixed 
at the time of sowing, at a cost of about 3/. 3.s. per acre. (The 
bones cost 11. 15.9., the superphosphate 3/. 18s. per ton.) They 
are cut out fully 10 inches apart in the rows, and a very large 
weight is generally grown per acre. Probably here, if anywhere, 
such crops as we sometimes hear talked of might be realised, 
but at any rate great crops are grown, and in a good season 
30 tons should be within the mark per acre. The swedes are 
generally sown before the middle of May ; and the white 
varieties are finished by the beginning of June. About half 
the roots are removed from the land for the cattle in the yards, 
and the remainder consumed by sheep upon the land. Wheat 
follows on a good deal of this break, though barley is sometimes 
taken. The wheat seldom gets sown before March. About 
3^ imperial bushels of wheat are broadcasted. The sort is 
generally Chidham, and the very high average of 39 bushels 
per acre is reached. It is seeded down with 12 lbs. of mixed 
clovers and f bushel of rye-grass per acre, principally Pacey's 
perennial. 
The seeds, as intimated, remain down 2 years, being mown 
the first and grazed the second season. They are then broken 
up and sown with oats broadcast, about a sack an acre, and this 
completes the course. Mr. Graham thinks his average crop of 
oats is about 7 quarters imperial. They generally weigh about 
42 lbs. a bushel, and are of good quality. Potato and Sandy are 
the two sorts preferred. Fully two-thirds of the oats grown are 
consumed upon the farm, but the wheat and barley is all sold. 
Live Stock. — It is important to notice that no sheep are bred 
upon the farm. This is in continuation of the practice of 
Mr. Gibbons. No doubt the land, like all of a similar character, 
is ill-adapted for the purpose ; but in these days, with store 
