Farm-Prize Competition, 1880. 
545 
sometimes practised in the autumn in preparing the stubbles for 
roots. Mr. Graham is also fond of a little bit of blood, and 
keeps a brood-mare or two, which have bred him some good 
stock. 
Labour. — The system of labour was, until the last few months, 
that which is almost universal in Cumberland. The men 
(married or single) were all boarded in the house. As there 
are some cottages upon the farm, some of the labourers were of 
the former class, but they, equally with the single men, get their 
meals in the house. The ploughmen come at 5.30 in the 
morning in winter, and about 5.0 in summer. After the horses 
are done, they help to remove the dung from the byres, carrying 
it all out on hand-barrows, and depositing it on the midden, 
which occupies a prominent and important position in the 
courtyard, on to which the house abuts at the back. Much 
attention is paid to the dung-heap on this farm. A liquid- 
manure tank is placed underneath it, with a pump which rears 
its head through the centre of the midden, and the liquid- 
manure is daily pumped from this tank, and spread on the 
various portions of the heap. The olfactory organs are therefore 
made fullv aware, on approaching the premises, of the strength 
of the article thus manufactured. 
After the byres are cleared, breakfast proceeds, the men getting 
at this meal oatmeal-and-milk porridge, and bread-and-milk 
in addition. They return with their teams about mid-day for 
an hour and a half, which is occupied in feeding their horses 
and getting their own dinner. This consists of broth, meat 
(always beef or mutton) and vegetables. In summer they some- 
times get tea carried into the field to them ; but in winter their 
supper takes place at 6 o'clock, when they get milk boiled with 
flour, and bread-and-milk. After this they stay another hour to 
finish the horses and stock for the night. 
The regular staff consists of — 
4 Horse-men. 
2 Cattle-men. 
1 Shepherd. 
1 Labourer (spademan, hedger, 6cc.). 
1 Groom (od(i-man and useful). 
Nine men are therefore fed, on the average, every day. The 
wages paid are as follows ; — Ploughmen get at the present time 
IQs. per week in addition to food ; house and garden rent-free ; 
firing carted free ; and a cartload (about 100 stones) of potatoes 
free. No beer is given except in clipping-time, hay-time, and 
harvest. There is no bondaging, but the wives of the labourers 
generally get work in summer, and they have first turn in this 
VOL. XVI. — S. S. 2 N 
