188 
Farm Prize Competition, 1907. 
oats 14 acres, and peas 8 acres, the remaining portion of the 
land being taken up by the house, garden, yards, &c. A five- 
course system of cropping is adopted, viz., oats, wheat, seeds, 
peas, and barley alternately, then potatoes and mangolds alter- 
nately as a fallow crop. Manuring — twelve loads per acre 
of farm-yard dung are applied to the seeds, which, as stated 
above, are followed by peas and barley. The same amount of 
dung per acre is given to the oat stubble and ploughed in for 
wheat, the stubble having been previously thin-ploughed, 
dressed off, and burnt. All remaining farm-yard manure 
goes to the fallow crops, which receive, in addition, the follow- 
ing artificial manures : Potatoes, 4 cwt. superphosphate, with 
4 cwt. bone-meal per acre, and the mangolds 2 cwt. super- 
phosphate, with 3 cwt. bone-meal per acre. Nearly all of the 
farm produce is consumed at home. Straw is used for bed- 
ding and fodder, the clover is consumed in the yards by stock 
with linseed cake and cotton cake. The barley is used for 
pig feeding, of which class of stock Mr. Bray makes 4 speciality 
with great success. The stock on the farm consisted of four 
horses, thirty cattle, and thirty pigs. The number of horses 
will appear large for this small farm, but the explanation is that 
Mr. Bray gets in yo\ing horses and makes them up for sale, 
realising very good prices. Five cows are milked and a similar 
number of calves reared in the summer. The calves are 
always “ kept up,” green food being supplied to them, with 
a little cake in addition. The cows are given about 8 lb. 
mixed cake per head daily. About twenty beasts are bought in 
for winter feeding, and sold off when fat. The Judges con- 
sidered all the cattle and pig stock excellent, and the horses 
very good. The farm was in first-class condition and very 
clean. The wheat, barley, oats, peas, and mowing clover were 
all exceedingly good-looking crops. The mangold and potatoes 
were good and without a weed to be seen. The fences and 
gates were in good order, but the premises are in need of 
repair. The farm is worked by Mr. Bray with two men and 
one boy, except at busy times, when additional assistance may 
be required. Labour wages run at 2s. 6 <i. per day in this dis- 
trict, and the annual bill for this farm works out at 45s. per 
acre. 
Mr. Bray has not had the advantage of education, and 
is unable to keep any books, but is, nevertheless, one of those 
striking instances of sheer merit and force of character which 
will “come out on top” against all odds. Beginning farm work 
as a boy he gradually passed through all the various stages 
of farming life, eventually rising to the position of foreman. 
Starting business on his own account in 1876 he purchased 
10 acres of land which had gone out of cultivation, and by 
