578 
Typical Farms in Cheshire and North Wales. 
land, divided from the farm by wire fencing, to prevent the encroachments 
of rabbits, and is underlet to a sporting tenant. The valley lies some 700 
feet above the sea level, the hills on either side rising to 1,000 feet. The 
bottom land is alluvial drift, and is principally permanent pasture. The 
remainder of the farm is of a light nature, the soil varying from 5 to 6 
inches deep, and being underlaid chiefly by argillaceous deposits, and in 
some places by limestone. It rests on the Upper Silurian formation. 
The house and buildings are built of local stone, and are sufficient for 
the holding. There is stabling for 7 horses, 23 cows, and 12 calves, with 
yard, cart-sheds, and pig-styes. There is also a small water-mill worked by 
a stream from the mountain side, which is used for grinding wheat and other 
home-grown cereals. The dairy, which is within the house, is old-fashioned 
both in construction and in appliances. The garden and orchard adjoin the 
house. This farm has been rented since Lady-day, 1888, by Mr. Jones 
from Algernon Potts, Esq., on an annual tenancy, at a rental of nearly 
130/., but a temporary reduction of 10 per cent, has been allowed on the 
last half-year’s rent. The former tenant is said to have paid 160/. for the 
same holding. Excluding the mountain land, the farm contains 106 acres, 
which, oh the date of inspection (June 9), was cropped as follows: — 
18 acres of oats. 
5 acres of barley. 
11 acres of swedes. 
28 acres first and second year’s 
clover. 
14 acres meadow and pasture. 
Mr. Jones is unrestricted as to cultivation and sale of produce ; but he 
consumes the whole of the hay, straw, and cereals grown upon the farm. 
The course of cropping varies, but usually runs — Oats and wheat, swedes 
and turnips, oats and barley, seeded down for two or three years, and then 
broken up agaiu for cereals. Farm-yard manure is ploughed in on the 
stubbles in the autumn for green crops, and 5 cwt. of superphosphate is 
sown broadcast on the surface before ridging and sowing. 
About 15 acres of hay aud first year’s clovers are mown every year, and 
farm-yard manure is applied as far as it goes on this land in the spring of 
the year ; a portion is also dressed with superphosphate. The mixture for 
artificial grasses consists of 2 lb. Alsike, 2 lb. white Dutch, 6 lb. red clover, 
2 lb. trefoil, and one peck perennial rye-grass per acre. The oats were a 
fair crop ; the swedes, drilled 2 feet apart, were well up and ready for 
horse-hoeing. The pastures and clovers were suffering from the drought, 
and those which were set apart for hay were considerably dried up and 
burning, thus auguring badly for the hay-crop. The riverside and per- 
manent meadows looked verdant, and were grazing satisfactorily. The 
roadside fences were neatly kept ; but the remainder, which were set on 
high banks, were strong and but little attended to. The gates also 
required restoring in several instances. 
Mr. Jones expended, during the first year of his tenancy, about 13/. in 
improvements to his fences, and he has filled up a useless watercourse 
which ran through the centre of the farm. The stock on the farm con- 
sisted of — 
2 cart mares. 
1 hackney. 
1 yearling cart colt and 1 foal. 
14 milking cows. 
1 two-year-old heifer. 
2 two-year-old bullocks. 
13 yearling heifers. 
10 calves. 
1 yearling bull (Shorthorn cross). 
45 ewes and 32 lambs. 
1 breeding sow and 8 pigs. 
5 strong store pigs. 
One cart foal is bred every year. The dairy cows are cross-bred Welsh 
and Shorthorn, and appear to be hardy and good milkers. They are used 
