294  Farm  Prize  Competition,  1909. 
Cattle. — All  cattle  are  bought  in  and  sold  off  fat.  The 
custom  is  to  buy  strong  well-grown  beasts  and  feed  them  up 
in  the  yards  during  the  winter  and  on  the  pastures  in  summer. 
When  in  the  yards  the  cattle  are  given  mangold,  straw,  decorti- 
cated cotton  cake  and  bean  meal  in  equal  parts,  and  sometimes 
oat  meal  as  well.  The  quantity  of  cake  and  corn  varies  accord 
ing  to  the  size  and  age  of  the  cattle.  A strong  well-grown 
bullock  would  start  at  6 lb.  per  day  and  finish  at  12  lb. 
When  caking  cattle  on  the  grass,  up  to  8 lb.  per  head  of 
decorticated  cotton  cake  is  given.  Both  bullocks  and  heifers 
are  bought,  of  whatever  breed  — Hereford,  Shorthorn,  or  “ Cross  ” 
— that  comes  handy.  Between  thirty  and  forty  beasts  pass 
through  the  farm  in  the  course  of  a year.  One  milking  cow  is 
kept  to  supply  the  household. 
Sheep. — All  the  sheep  are  bought.  Mr.  Brooke  feeds  out 
nearly  three  hundred  in  the  course  of  a year,  and  as  he 
could  not  breed  many  on  his  holding  he  prefers  to  buy  all. 
The  sheep  are  purchased  to  feed  on  the  kale  or  turnips 
grown  after  peas,  and  to  finish  on  mangolds.  They  receive  a 
mixture  of  equal  quantities  of  cotton  cake,  linseed  cake,  and 
old  beans,  with  chopped  pea-straw.  The  quantity  of  corn 
given  varies  from  \ lb.  to  1^  lb.  per  head  per  day  according  to 
circumstances.  Oats  are  sometimes  given  instead  of  beans. 
Pigs. — Five  sows  are  kept  for  breeding  purposes,  and  the 
young  pigs  sold  off  when  worth  from  20s.  to  25s.  each. 
Labour  here  runs  at  15s.  per  week  without  a cottage,  but 
with  allowance  of  two  quarts  of  cider  per  day  from  May 
to  Michaelmas.  More  cider  is  allowed  when  working  hay 
or  harvest.  The  shepherd’s  wages  are  17s.  per  week,  out  of 
which  he  pays  Is.  9d.  per  week  rent  for  a good  cottage  and 
garden.  He  receives  also  Is.  6d.  per  rick  for  thatching,  10s. 
for  dipping  sheep,  and  Is.  for  each  journey  to  market.  The 
carter  has  17s.  per  week,  and  pays  2s.  rent.  The  men  are 
allowed  to  have  pigs  from  the  farm,  which  they  pay  for  on 
the  instalment  system.  During  the  summer  months  the  men 
are  given  the  opportunity  to  work  until  8 o’clock  at  night, 
allowing  half-hour  for  tea  at  5.30  to  6 p.m.  The  men  receive 
an  extra  6d.  per  day  for  this. 
Mr.  Brooke’s  labour  costs  33s.  3d.  per  acre.  Artificial 
manures  come  to  3s.  per  acre,  and  notwithstanding  the  con- 
siderable consumption  of  home-grown  produce,  purchased 
foods  cost  21.  per  acre. 
Orchard. — Mr.  Brooke  has  planted  11  acres  of  fruit  trees, 
consisting  of  4 acres  plums  (with  gooseberry  bushes  in 
between),  and  7 acres  of  apples.  The  landlord  supplied  the 
trees,  the  tenant  doing  all  the  labour,  planting,  pruning,  and 
protecting.  Four  acres  of  pasture  orchard,  planted  in  1899, 
