Farm-Prize Competition, 1880. 
547 
may, and often do, become exceedingly dangerous neighbours, 
and it is astonishing to a fenman like the writer that more care 
is not bestowed upon these banks. A lew years since, on May 24, 
a flood occurred which swept over several portions of the farm, 
and reached the sills of the chamber-windows in the cottages ; 
but this was only one of many such occurrences within the 
memory of Mr. Gibbons. Useful as is the proximity of these 
clear and rapid streams for the stock on the farm, their danger 
is sufficiently evident, and, if the owner of this fine estate were 
so minded, 1 feel confident this valuable land could be rendered 
more secure at a moderate expense. 
It perhaps hardly comes within the province of a report of 
this kind to notice the fercc naturce of the farm, but I must 
put on record the opinion of the Judges that this farm is con- 
siderably injured by hares. I myself counted twenty-four hares 
in one field in April, and that without entering the field at all. 
Many more might be crouching unseen. Moreover, the roots in 
winter were very much bitten by them. I only allude to this 
subject in order that the attention of the owner may be drawn 
to it, as a point on which he, no doubt, is in ignorance ; and I 
am sure that he will thank me for this allusion. 
I have reported rather fully on all these farms in Class I., as 
all of them possessed some special points of interest. I now 
come to Class II., farms under 200 acres, in which the competi- 
tion was exceptionally good. 
Mr. Donald's Farm, Sanden House, Abbey Town, 
Cumberland. 
First-Prize Farm. — Class II. 
To Mr. Donald was awarded the First Prize in the Small 
Farm Class, the Judges being of opinion that, considering all 
points, it displayed greater merit than any other, though it 
need not be disguised that the first four larms in this class 
were well " in the running," and that the competition was a 
worthy one. 
In the first place Mr. Donald has not the advantages of soil 
possessed by some of his competitors. The cultivation of clay 
land is attended by many difficulties in Cumberland, partly 
caused by the climate and partly by the lateness of the season. 
But Mr. Donald's farm is most of it of a decidedly heavy 
character and wants very careful cultivation, and is, moreover, 
not naturally very fertile. The tenacity of a good deal of it 
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