Farm-Prize Competition, 1880. 
571 
and gfiazed the remainder of the shift, the land being again 
broken up when necessary. 
The oat-stubble intended for the turnip-crop is broken up 
early in the winter. It gets three furrows and a good deal of 
grubbing before it can be got into condition for roots. This 
land by no means enjoys the immunity from "twitch" which I 
have noted in my description of some of the other farms, and 
both it and coltsfoot are troublesome weeds ; the former especi- 
ally is hard to deal with in such a climate. Very little artificial 
manure is used for the turnip-crop ; but reliance is placed upon 
the dung made in the cattle-sheds for this purpose. Liming, 
however, is practised to a considerable extent. About 9 to 10 
cartloads per acre (say 8 tons) are spread on the oat-stubble 
before it is ploughed up for the root-crop, and the action of frost 
is trusted to, to counteract the effect of so much carting and 
treading the land as is necessary for the moving this bulky 
material. This lime is made upon the farm, and costs 2s. per 
cartload, approximately, besides the labour of carting and 
spreading on the land. 
Oats. — The oats grown are of fair quality generally, weighing 
about 42 lbs. per bushel. None are sold, but all are mealed at 
the mill and consumed upon the farm. The whole of the oat- 
straw is consumed by the cattle, being mostly cut into chaff by 
the water-power, which will be alluded to further on. 
Besides the seeds which are mown, 42 acres of meadow are 
also cut for hay, and the land is dressed as often as possible with 
compost made with lime and the vegetable refuse of the farm, 
or with dung. 
Cattle. — By this management Mr. Leathes is able to maintain 
a considerable head of cattle. At our February visit we found 
95 head, in praise of the quality of which much could not be 
said, and in July 131 head, viz. 36 cows in-milk and in-calf, 
75 above two years old, and 20 under that age. They are kept 
for pay, milking qualities being a recommendation, but a good 
many animals are also bought at the sales at Cockermouth, in 
store condition, and fattened off for the same market. The 
most taking of the cattle are some Galloways, towards which 
Mr. Leathes' proclivities seem tending. About 24 cows are 
kept, principally for milk, when a sufficient market can be found 
for that commodity. Butter is made of the remainder. The 
milk is sold at Frizington, a mining village near Lamplugh, 
Zd. per quart being charged for it. The cream is taken off the 
night milk, and the mixture of this skim with the morning's 
new milk is sold at this very remunerative price. Thus, besides 
the large sale of milk when times are prosperous with the miners, 
the sale of butter also reaches considerable proportions. In 
