Farm  Prize  Competition,  1909. 
305 
For  any  animals  set  aside  for  show  or  sale  purposes  the 
amount  of  corn  is  increased.  After  turning-out  time,  which 
is  usually  about  May  1,  the  heifers  depend  entirely  on  the 
grass.  The  young  bulls  coming  on  for  sale  are  kept  separately 
in  open  pens,  and  are  allowed  from  6 to  12  lb.  of  corn  per 
day  according  to  age.  The  mixture  given  is  one  half  best 
linseed  cake  and  one  half  oat  and  bean  meal  with  a little 
bran,  this  is  mixed  with  chopped  hay  and  roots  or  cabbage. 
In  summer,  green  fodder  takes  the  place  of  hay. 
The  flock  of  Oxford  Down  sheep  consisted  of  299  stock 
ewes,  122  stock  theaves,  95  shearling  rams,  10  stock  rams, 
30  cull  theaves,  64  cull  ewes,  240  ram  lambs  and  247  ewe 
lambs.  After  the  lambs  are  weaned  at  end  of  April,  or 
beginning  of  May,  the  ewes  are  kept  for  the  summer  on  the 
poorest  of  the  grass-land,  and  clean  up  behind  the  lambs  on 
the  vetches  and  aftermaths.  Kept  like  this,  they  should  be  in 
thriving  condition  to  take  the  rams,  which  are  turned  out  the 
first  week  in  August.  For  the  rest  of  the  summer  and 
autumn  they  clean  up  any  grass  and  seeds,  and  in  many  cases, 
do  not  get  any  roots  before  Christmas.  After  lambing,  they 
are  allowed  1 lb.  of  corn  per  day  ■ until  weaning-time  ; the 
mixture  is  one  half  cotton  cake  and  one  half  crushed  oats. 
• They  are  given  hay  twice  a day  and  folded  on  roots.  The 
lambs,  when  strong  enough,  running  forward,  learn  to  take 
corn.  After  weaning,  the  ram  lambs  are  separated  from  the 
ewe  lambs,  the  former  having  per  day  1 lb.,  the  latter  ^ lb.  of 
concentrated  food,  viz.  : a mixture  of  linseed  cake,  oats  and 
beans.  The  lambs  are  usually  weaned  on  to  mixed  seeds  and 
get  a few  mangolds  ; after  seeds,  they  go  on  to  vetches,  which 
is  the  main,  and  summer,  food  in  this  district.  The  ram 
lambs,  wanted  as  shearlings  for  sale  the  following  summer,  go 
first  to  turnips  in  the  autumn  and  then  follow  on  to  swedes, 
coming  to  rye  and  vetches  with  mangolds  in  the  spring. 
Their  corn  is  gradually  raised  to  21b.  per  day. 
The  basis  of  farming  here  is  the  production  of  high-class 
Shorthorn  cattle  and  Oxford  Down  sheep,  for  both  of  which 
Mr.  Hobbs  is  so  deservedly  well  known.  Strict  economy  in 
the  use  of  feeding  stuffs  and  the  growth  of  as  much  corn  as 
possible,  to  help  pay  for  the  purchased  foods,  are  the  objects 
kept  in  view.  Labour  runs  to  1,800Z.  per  annum  ; purchased 
foods  to  1,270Z.,  and  artificial  manures  to  101. 
Mr.  Hobbs  undoubtedly  scores  heavily  with  his  stock. 
The  cattle  and  sheep  seen  were  a “ show  ” in  themselves,  and 
their  success  in  the  showyards  is  his  reward. 
The  farm  occupied  by  Mr.  Henry  Matthews  is  very  well 
managed.  The  cultivations,  crops  and  stock  were  all  good. 
There  was  however  no  feature  of  special  interest  to  report. 
VOL.  70.  X 
