Farm-Prize Competition, 1880. 
555 
raised. Last year the crop was estimated at 26 tons per acre, 
but Mr. Parker says 38 tons per acre have been grown upon the 
farm. They are all removed from the land. The bulbs we saw 
in February were very good, both in size and quality, and the 
growing crop in July was one of extraordinary promise. On 
this kind land they had all hit, and came away in one growth, 
and perhaps it will scarcely be believed that on July 6th some 
of them measured 3 feet across the top, the leaves being extended. 
The ridges are made 30 inches apart, and the roots are set out 
14 inches in the rows. Mildew is scarcely known in this part 
of Westmoreland, and hence the extreme forwardness of the 
crop is viewed with favour. Fully two-thirds of the roots are 
consumed by cattle in the byres, and the remainder by sheep 
on the grass. 
Barley. — The barley which follows is generally of good 
quality, and is sold for malting. Last year it made 40^. a 
quarter. Notwithstanding the entire removal of the roots, no 
artificial manure is required for the barley crop, or it gets too 
proud. If a part is seen to require it, some top-dressing is put 
on. This year it was clean and a fine crop. 
Seeds. — The mixture of seeds used for laying down the land 
is 2rV lbs. cou grass, 2 lbs. white clover, 1^ lb. red clover, 1;^ lb. 
alsike, 1 lb. Timothy, 1 lb. trefoil, 1 lb. rib-grass, 1:^ lb. cockstoot, 
l:j- lb. Pacey's perennial ryegrass, and 1 peck of Italian rye- 
grass. This excellent mixture produces very fine plants of seeds, 
and almost without exception the layers on this farm, whether 
in their first, second, third, or fourth years, were first-class. A 
piece being grazed with sheep and calves in July, in its fourth 
year, was particularly noticeable as showing a perfect crop of 
clovers. The seeds are partly mown and partly grazed. 
Potato-oats are grown usually. They generally weigh about 
42 lbs. a bushel, and are all sold. Mr. Parker supplies two 
gentlemen's stables in the neighbourhood, and, as will be seen 
hereafter, replaces the oats by maize and other foods. The 
appearance of the oat-crop this year was not favourable. They 
were patchy, apparently having been eaten by wire-worm ; 
neither were they by any means as clean as might be desired. 
Some contained a good deal of " field-kale " (charlock), and 
there were other weeds which might more easily have been 
removed. 
In this " happy valley," and, indeed, in most other parts of 
Cumberland and Westmoreland, it is not considered necessary 
to weed the corn-crops, and a long immunity from such a 
practice has begotten an indifference to the sight of weeds, 
which is very trying to the eyes of a farmer from districts 
where such a custom is looked upon as one of the most essential 
