236 Farm Prize Competition , 1908. 
alternately with cow manure, at the rate of fifteen loads per acre, 
and with liquid manure. No artificials are used. The excellent 
use made of the liquid manure from the byre, and the results 
obtained, are quite a feature of this farm. The liquid manure 
is piped away to a big tank, from which an overflow irrigates 
part of a field if time does not permit of its being otherwise 
dealt with, but most of it is run into the water carts and taken 
where required. Most goes to the grass land, but some is used 
on the tillage. 
Horses. — There are four heavy horses, strong and useful 
looking, for the farm work, also four good horses for the milk 
trade, and one nag. The horse feed consists of chopped hay, 
crushed oats, and bran. 
Cattle. — There are forty-two non-pedigree tested cows, and a 
very useful lot they are. The milk is all retailed in the town of 
Sunderland, the carts being in the town at 6.30 in the morning 
and at 1.30 each afternoon. Mr. Nicol gets a better price for 
his milk because all his cows have passed the tuberculin test, 
and he holds a veterinary certificate for each one to that effect. 
The cows are all purchased in the Wensleydale district of 
Yorkshire, they are bought in at the second or third calf, 
milked through and then fattened off for the butcher. Some 
cows will only be in milk for six months, and others will go as 
long as twelve, or even more. During summer the cows all 
run out at grass during the day, and are brought in at night. 
Mr. Nichol believes in having all cows fed in the morning 
before milking commences. The summer programme is : 
4.30 a.m., mash consisting of brewers’ grains and bean meal 
with a little bran ; 7 a.m., go out to grass and tares, coming in 
at 12 noon to another feed of mash, and out again at 1.30. 
They come in for the night at 5 p.m. and receive 3 lb. of 
Egyptian Cotton Cake per head and a foddering of oat straw. 
Milking takes place at 4.30 a.m. and 12.30 p.m., the newly 
calved cows being milked a third time at 7 p.m. 
During the winter months the cows remain in the byre, 
but are let out occasionally for a little exercise — this, however, 
only for a very short time. The winter ration is : 4.30 a.m., 
mash, consisting of a mixture of one-third bushel brewers’ 
grains, 2 lb. bean meal, and 2 lb. Bibby’s Dairy Meal per cow, 
together with a little bran ; after milking is finished about 
2 stones of whole turnips are given, and also 3 to 4 lb. of oat 
straw, the work of gnawing the turnips giving the cows some- 
thing to do ; 10 a.m., the earthenware water troughs are all 
cleaned out, and the cows supplied with fresh water. 
Two stones of turnips are given out after this and a mash as 
before ; 12.30, milking ; 1 p.m., 2 stones of turnips ; 4 p.m., 
mash, consisting of one-third bushel brewers’ grains and 2 lb. 
