244 
Farm  Prize  Competition , 1910. 
superphosphate,  and  3 cwt.  of  organic  manure  prepared  by  the 
Manchester  Corporation,  two-thirds  of  the  artificial  dressing 
being  applied  before  planting  and  the  remaining  third 
when  earthing  up  the  potatoes  for  the  last  time,  which  also 
helps  to  stimulate  the  cabbage  plants  planted  in  between  the 
rows. 
Swedes  are  manured  with  15  tons  of  farmyard  manure  and 
5 cwt.  of  superphosphate  or  5 cwt.  basic  slag  per  acre. 
Wheat  and  oats  are  not  manured,  as  the  land  is  in  good 
heart  for  them. 
Twenty  tons  of  farmyard  manure  and  8 cwt.  of  kainit  are 
applied  per  acre  in  the  autumn  for  the  mangold  crop.  In  the 
spring,  before  sowing,  5 cwt.  of  organic  manure,  3 cwt.  of 
superphosphate,  and  1 cwt.  of  sulphate  of  ammonia  are  given, 
and  as  a top  dressing  in  July,  2 cwt.  of  salt  and  1 cwt.  of 
sulphate  of  ammonia. 
The  pastures  are  treated  from  time  to  time  with  5 cwt.  of 
boiled  bones  and  3 cwt.  of  superphosphate  per  acre,  and 
mowing  seed  grasses  receive  8 cwt.  per  acre  of  a mixed 
organic  manure,  containing  4 per  cent,  nitrogen,  12  per  cent, 
phosphates,  1 per  cent,  potash.  Temporary  pastures  receive 
5 cwt,  per  acre  superphosphate. 
The  general  system  of  farming  near  the  large  towns  in  the 
counties  of  Lancaster  and  Chester  is  to  sell  everything  off 
the  farm,  and  maintain  the  fertility  of  the  land  by  dressing 
it  heavily  with  manure,  which  formerly  could  be  cheaply 
obtained  and  hauled  from  the  towns.  Thus  one  finds  many 
farms  without  any  stock.  The  manure  comes  from  stables, 
abattoirs,  and  other  sources,  and  in  certain  favoured  districts 
is  delivered  in  large  quantities  at  cheap  rates  by  canal.  On 
this  farm,  however,  it  is  found  better  and  more  economical 
and  profitable  to  keep  a dairy  stock  and  make  manure  at  home 
by  consuming  the  produce,  and  thus  avoid  the  ever-increasing 
difficulty  of  obtaining  town  manure  of  uniform  and  good 
quality  in  sufficient  quantity.  The  cost  of  manure  on  the 
farm  is  naturally  very  heavy  when  so  much  is  made  and 
artificials  used  so  freely,  and  is  estimated  at  21.  per  acre. 
The  dairy  herd  is  an  important  feature  in  the  working  of 
the  Parkside  Farm.  About  250  milking  cows  are  kept  in 
winter,  and  from  200  to  240  during  the  summer.  Three  bulls 
are  kept.  During  March  and  April,  when  milk  is  plentiful, 
about  thirty  heifer  calves  are  reared  to  take  their  place  in  the 
herd — this  being  a home  insurance  to  cover  losses,  &c. — and 
some  fifty  cows  are  bought  in  each  year  ; thus  the  herd  is 
practically  renewed  every  four  years.  At  other  times  the 
calves  are  all  sold  weekly,  there  being  a good  local  demand 
for  young  calves  for  rearing  purposes.  Calves  are  kept  on 
