714  On  the  Farming  of  Somerset. 
that  placed  by  the  women  in  the  holes,  but  the  land  was  in  high  con- 
dition. 
“ We  keep  14  horses;  these  are  never  turned  out  to  grass.  Each  horse 
is  allowed  per  week  1^  bushels  of  oats,  ^ bushel  of  split  beans  (the  latter 
is  taken  off  during  the  summer  months),  with  £ cwt.  of  bran  moistened 
and  mixed  with  as  much  steamed  straw-chaff  as  they  will  eat.  We  do  not 
know  what  it  is  to  have  an  unhealthy  horse,  and  this  treatment  keeps  them 
in  high  condition. 
“ The  consumption  of  chaff  being  very  great  on  the  farm,  it  is  cut  by 
one  of  Cornes’s  engines  worked  by  a pony  13  hands  high.  Our  wheat- 
field  consists  of  105  acres.  The  quantity  of  seed  is  8 pecks  per  acre  be- 
fore Christmas,  and  9 pecks  after ; as  we  find  that  thin  sowing  does  not 
answer  on  this  land.” 
The  only  criticism  which  I will  venture  to  make  on  the  above 
statement  is,  to  suggest  a doubt  whether  Mr.  Gray  does  not  carry 
the  practice  of  steaming  chaff  too  far.  That  steaming  inferior 
hay  will  improve  it  is  undoubted,  but  the  profit  of  steaming  good 
straw  is  questionable. 
It  may  be  well  to  add  in  detail  the  actual  money  paid  in 
wages  for  that  part  of  the  field  on  which  the  compost  and  super- 
phosphate were  used  alone.  The  extent  was  20  acres,  which 
by  great  activity  were  sown  in  six  days,  the  labourers  being  paid 
by  day-work  : — 
£.  s.  d. 
2 men  mixing  and  filling  j t ^ 6d  d 3 12  0 
6 men  dibbling  J 1 J 
6 women  putting  in  manure,  at  6 d.  per  day  . 0 18  0 
C children,  at  4d.  . . . . . 0 12  0 
2 lads,  at  0 d.  . . . . . .060 
2 horses,  at  3s.  6d.  . . . . .220 
7 10  0 
Which,  divided  by  20,  gives  as  the  cost  of 
labour  per  acre  . . ...  0 7 G 
2 cwt.  of  superphosphate  . . £0  16  0 
4 loads  of  compost  . . .10  0 
Say  for  extra  labour  with  the  above  0 4 0 
Manure  ..... 200 
Total  for  labour  and  manure  . . 2 7 G 
The  best  commentary  I can  give  on  Mr.  Gray’s  practice  may 
be  given  in  the  answer  of  a neighbouring  tarmer  to  my  question 
as  to  his  own  system  : “ We  follow  Mr.  Gray  as  near  as  we  can 
manage.” 
Adjoining  the  King  Weston  Farm  is  that  of  the  Dean  of 
Windsor,  on  Butleigh  Hill,  conducted  by  Mr.  Graburn. 
The  object  chiefly  aimed  atin,  he  management  of  the  Butleigh 
estate  is  to  assist  the  tenants  to  farm  profitably  themselves.  The 
return  of  the  home  farm  is  made  a secondary  consideration.  In 
the  first  place,  a Tilery  has  been  established,  in  which  the  thin- 
nings of  the  plantations  are  used  for  fuel.  Many  acres  have  been 
