Farm  Prize  Competition,  1909. 
303 
summer.  Wheat  follows,  and  is  sown  at  the  end  of  September  or 
the  first  week  in  October.  The  wheat  is  sown  with  the  follow- 
ing seed  mixture  : — 12  lb.  cow  grass  clover,  6 lb.  trefoil,  3 lb. 
alsike,  18  lb.  perennial  rye-grass,  10  lb.  Italian  rye-grass.  The 
reason  for  this  heavy  seeding  is  that  should  the  clay  land  carry 
a good  sward  and  the  brash  land  fail,  the  ley  on  the  clay  would 
be  kept  down  for  a second  year. 
Wheat  comes  after  seeds  and  is  followed  by  oats,  which  are 
dressed  with  superphosphate  and  sulphate  of  ammonia.  Roots 
follow  oats,  and  occasionally,  according  to  season,  roots  again 
occupy  the  land  for  a second  year,  or  instead  of  roots,  green 
crops  for  summer  sheep  feed.  The  land  for  roots  receives  per 
acre,  12  tons  farmyard  manure,  and  5 cwt.  mineral  super- 
phosphate. If  no  farmyard  manure,  5 cwt.  bone  manure  used 
instead.  Mangolds  and  cabbage  receive  a top-dressing  of  2 cwt. 
of  sulphate  of  ammonia  applied  at  intervals. 
On  the  brash  land  the  roots  are  followed  by  barley  or  oats, 
seeded  down  as  on  the  heavy  land,  except  that  20  lb.  of 
milled  sainfoin  seed  is  substituted  for  the  Italian  rye-grass. 
The  seeds  in  their  first  year  are  mown  once,  the  second  year 
fed  by  sheep,  then  ploughed  during  July  and  August  and 
planted  with  wheat  in  September  or  October’.  Barley  follows 
wheat  and  is  top-dressed  with  1^  cwt.  of  sulphate  of  ammonia 
per  acre.  The  heavy  land  stubble  is  pared  and  burnt  every 
autumn,  which  cleans  the  land  and  makes  a good  seed  bed. 
Catch  Crops. — On  the  light  land,  if  the  harvest  be  early, 
mustard  is  sown  on  the  stubble  to  feed  with  ewes,  or  trifolium 
for  spring  feeding,  to  be  followed  by  vetches,  the  land  coming 
into  turnips  afterwards. 
Sainfoin  is  a valuable  crop  in  this  district,  and  from  time  to 
time  a field  is  laid  down  with  this  crop.  It  is  sown  at  the  rate 
of  4 bushels  per  acre,  mixed  with  the  barley,  and  drilled  at  the 
same  time,  the  drill  going  over  the  land  twice  at  different  angles. 
The  sainfoin  stands  for  six  or  seven  years,  sometimes  longer. 
The  mowing  grass  is  manured  with  farmyard  manure  at  the  rate 
of  8 tons  per  acre,  or  with  basic  slag  if  farmyard  manure  be  not 
available.  The  pasture  land  is  well  grazed  by  cake-fed  stock. 
The  horses  on  the  farm  are  Shires,  and  comprised  nineteen 
working  horses  and  five  colts.  They  are  a very  useful  lot. 
A milking  herd  of  about  forty-five  shorthorns  is  kept,  and 
the  milk  sold  to  the  Anglo-Swiss  condensed  milk  factory 
near  at  hand,  at  an  average  price  for  the  year  of  &\d.  per 
gallon  of  101b.  The  milk  is  delivered  to  the  factory  once  a 
day.  While  out  at  grass  during  the  summer  months  the 
cows  receive  41b.  per  head  of  Bombay  cotton  cake.  The 
winter  ration  consists  of  41b.  cotton  cake,  41b.  dried  grains, 
and  21b.  bean  meal  per  day,  with  roots,  chaff,  and  hay.  A 
