Farm  Prize  Competition , 1910. 
253 
according  to  season.  Labour  amounts  to  415 1.  per  annum,  to 
which  should  be  added  about  55 1.  per  annum  expended  on 
various  forms  of  labour  connected  with  the  brining  industry, 
quite  apart  from  the  cost  of  cauliflower  cultivation,  &c. 
Manures  amount  to  1707.,  feeding  stuffs  to  about  2007.  The 
only  artificial  manure  used  is  the  nitrate  of  soda  for  cauli- 
flowers. Cow  manure  is  purchased  from  local  dairymen,  and 
mixed  with  farmyard  manure.  The  quantity  purchased  during 
1909  was  705  tons,  and  about  150  tons  of  farmyard  manure 
was  made  on  the  premises.  Cow  manure  costs  from  5s.  to  5s.  3 d. 
per  ton,  horse  manure  3s.  per  ton.  The  bulk  of  the  manure 
is  brought  to  the  farm  when  making  return  journeys  from  the 
taking  of  produce  into  Liverpool  and  its  suburbs.  Should 
special  journeys  be  necessary,  one  man,  with  waggon  and  team 
of  two  horses,  can  haul  to  the  farm  about  seven  tons  of  manure 
per  diem. 
Five  working  horses  and  two  colts  are  kept,  one  rising 
three  and  the  other  rising  two  years  old.  All  the  working 
horses  have  been  purchased  as  colts  and  worked  on  the  farm. 
The  two  colts  have  been  bred  by  the  tenant  from  a registered 
mare,  sired  by  a pedigree  horse. 
Each  team  of  two  horses,  when  in  work,  is  allowed  two 
bushels  of  split  maize  and  two  bushels  of  crushed  oats  per 
week,  mixed  with  chaffed  hay  or  wheat  chaff,  moistened  with 
a solution  of  treacle  and  water.  Hay  is  given  ad  lib.  Colts 
are  given  roots  and  chaff,  with  hay.  Some  of  the  horses  are 
turned  out  in  summer,  and  only  three  kept  working. 
The  horses  were  a very  good  lot  indeed,  and  very  well 
looked  after,  and  have  been  successful  in  the  local  showyards. 
That  they  are  well  suited  for  their  work  was  clearly  demon- 
strated to  the  Judges  on  their  first  visit,  when  they  had  the 
pleasure  of  seeing  a team  of  two  abreast  drawing  a furrow 
12  in.  deep  in  a strong  loamy  soil.  The  furrow  here  was  about 
400  yards  long,  and  so  straight  and  cleanly  cut  that  the  Judges 
were  not  at  all  surprised  to  hear  that  the  ploughman  had  won 
many  prizes,  and  they  heartily  complimented  him  on  his  work. 
Cattle,  in  the  winter,  are  given  roots  and  fattening  meals, 
with  plenty  of  good  hay.  Fifteen  head  of  cattle,  consisting 
of  four  dairy  cows,  two  in-calf  heifers,  two  fat  heifers,  two 
bullocks,  five  calves,  and  four  pigs.  Ten  were  bred  by  the 
tenant,  the  rest  were  purchased  either  as  calves  or  young  cows. 
Calves  are  allowed  new  milk  until  one  month  old,  afterwards 
skim  milk  and  calf  food  are  given.  Milking  cows,  in  summer, 
get  a small  quantity  of  good  compound  meal  morning  and 
evening.  Other  cattle,  in  summer,  are  out  at  grass. 
Dairy. — This  department  is  entirely  in  the  hands  of  Mrs. 
Almond,  and  is  conducted  in  a thoroughly  capable  manner. 
