Farm Prize Competition, 1908. 
237 
Bibby’s Dairy Meal only per cow ; and, after this, 4 lb. per head 
of Egyptian Cotton Cake, also hay. The cows are groomed three 
times a week during the winter. Mr. Nicol prefers dry handed 
milking, and all the cows are milked in rotation so that the 
same milker does not milk the same cow twice. The udders 
are well rubbed with clean cloths and the milk is passed 
through a strainer and taken away from the byre immediately. 
The cows are well fed, and expected to do well. A careful 
and complete milk record is kept, the history of each cow thus 
being clear and complete. A glimpse at this record shows that 
the cows average ten quarts of milk per day throughout the year. 
When the yield from any cow falls below four quarts per day 
she is fattened for the butcher and sold off. Very good prices 
can be made of the fatted cows, so there is not as much drop 
as is usually the case between the purchase and selling prices. 
The cost of keeping the cows averages for the summer 8s. (> d. 
per week, and for the winter 10s. 6d. They all looked well 
and bore excellent testimony to the care bestowed upon them. 
The byre is well ventilated and kept thoroughly clean. It is an 
ideal cow house. There are stands for forty-two cows arranged 
in three lines, with ample room all round as well as in front and 
behind the cows. The roof is flat, and as Mr. Nicol is 
dependent upon water from the town supplied by meter, a 
large cistern is used to save all the rainfall for flushing and 
cleansing purposes. Running the whole length of the byre 
are two glass sided and glass roofed dormer windows, which 
allow of ample light and excellent ventilation when opened. 
The place is kept beautifully clean and tastefully decorated 
with hanging flower baskets filled with ferns and flowers. 
Every attention is paid to all-round cleanliness, all inside walls 
are whitewashed, and all vessels used in the trade are scalded 
and rubbed with lime and sand every day. Lavatory accom- 
modation is provided for the milkers. Poultry keeping is 
carried on to a certain extent, about 400 eggs per week being 
disposed of. The same scrupulous cleanliness is carried out in 
this department. Table birds are not kept, but purchased for 
customers when required. 
Labour. — The labour employed consists of : — Hind at 23s. 
per week with house and one pint of milk per day ; byreman 
at 21s. with similar perquisites ; three young men in the house 
who receive 10s. per week each, with board and lodging ; two 
girls at 8s. each per week, also with board and lodging ; two 
outside girls at Is. 3 d. each per day of from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. ; 
and two boys for attendance on milk carts at 3s. each per week. 
The labour bill thus runs about 61. per week. 
Two cottages go with the farm and are occupied by the 
hind and byreman. The tenant is not responsible for the 
