Farm-Prize Competition, 1880. 
557 
decorticated cotton-cake. The calves are weaned early, and get 
hay and oilcake-porridge. No litter is used in the byres, 
according to the practice of the country. The cows calve from 
January to April. 
Some accidental circumstances had rather militated against 
the condition of a part of the herd in winter. The calves had 
all had " hoose," and though not one had been lost, they had 
suffered thereby in appearance. They were successfully treated 
with a mixture of turpentine and linseed-oil. A very fine cow 
which had bred a 33/. bull-calf had also slipped and lamed 
herself; but these little drawbacks had not altered the character 
of a very fine herd. 
Very few of the he-calves are " steered," a ready sale being 
found for them at a twelvemonth old. Last winter twelve 
averaged 17/. 10s. each from this age to 15 months. The bull 
in use in the winter was " Bates' Duke " (3fi,223) — a home-bred 
bull by "Grand Duke of Beaumont" (31,283) we thought 
hardly worthy of his mates ; and in April there was a youngster 
coming on named " 2nd Master of Eskdale " (bred by Lord 
Bective by " Duke of Underley " from an American cow), who, 
however, in July had not made as much improvement as could 
be hoped for. The condition of the young stock in April was 
rather thin, and in July they struck us as not being equal to the 
older portion of the herd. The calves are turned out occasion- 
ally when the weather suits. In July the stock account was 
thus : — 
20 Cows, 
7 Two-year-old heifers, 
10 Yearling ditto, 
20 Calves, 
1 Bull, 
1 Steer. 
59 
Sheep. — " Limcsto7ie^' Breed. — Two separate flocks are kept, as 
on so many of these farms. Part are Lincoln and part " Lime- 
stone." The breed of Limestones has been kept upon the farm 
for many years. They are good-sized white sheep, with large 
curled horns, perfectly white faces, and a fine quality of wool, 
weighing about 7 lbs. a fleece. Ewes of this sort off this farm have 
Aveighed 30 lbs. a quarter, and rams have been made up to 40 lbs. 
a quarter. 500 or 600 prizes have been taken with them at 
various times by Mr. Parker's father, and he was the only 
exhibitor in the three Classes of this breed at Kilburn last 
summer. The females as well as the rams have horns, and the 
