Farm  Prize  Competition,  1910. 
267 
Nearly  all  the  produce  of  the  farm  is  consumed  on  the 
homestead,  and,  in  addition,  there  is  an  annual  expenditure 
of  250/.  on  purchased  foods. 
The  main  sources  of  income  are  from  cheese,  cattle,  horses, 
and  potatoes. 
Cheese-making  continues  all  the  year  round,  the  average 
being  six  cheeses  per  week,  each  of  46  lb.  The  whey  goes 
to  the  pigs. 
Mr.  Croskell  has  the  credit  of  the  smallest  farm  and  the 
best  stock  that  came  under  the  notice  of  the  Judges,  and  the 
distinction  of  having  the  lowest  wages  bill  proportionate  to 
the  holding,  the  work  of  the  farm  being  carried  on  by 
Mr.  Croskell,  his  two  sons  and  daughter,  each  taking  their 
department,  with  casual  help  from  one  man  labourer. 
The  home-bred  stock  on  this  farm  are  particularly  good, 
and  many  of  them  are  sold  to  very  widely  distributed  areas. 
General  Remarks. 
The  stock  of  the  two  counties  generally  is  good,  particularly 
in  Lancashire,  where  the  horses  and  cows  are  especially  good. 
The  Cheshire  dairy  stock  is  rather  disappointing,  and  is  capable 
of  great  improvement.  The  sheep  are  not  a strong  feature  in 
either  of  the  two  counties,  and,  so  far  as  the  Judge’s  tour  is 
concerned,  consisted  mainly  of  “ flying  flocks,”  which  are  only 
a short  time  on  the  farm.  The  pigs  seen  were  good,  and 
poultry  were  a feature  on  many  of  the  farms,  and  were  well 
and  properly  managed. 
The  management  of  temporary  grass  land  is  generally  good, 
due,  no  doubt,  to  the  ready  sale  for  hay.  Fences  and  gates 
good,  and  well  looked  after.  Here  the  great  benefits  of  freedom 
of  cropping  are  seen,  whereby  a tenant  can  grow  just  such 
produce  as  he  can  best  sell,  and  at  such  time  as  best  suits 
himself.  The  fertility  of  the  soil  is  highly  maintained  by  the 
liberal  use  of  manure,  and,  indeed,  it  is  probably  due  more  to 
liberal  manuring  than  to  the  natural  capabilities  of  the  soil  that 
large  crops  are  grown.  It  is  interesting  to  note  that,  although 
nearly  all  the  farms  are  held  under  yearly  tenancies,  they 
generally  pass  on  from  father  to  son. 
Where  stock  are  kept,  they  are  well  done,  feeding  stuffs 
being  readily  and  comparatively  cheaply  obtained  from  the 
ports  of  the  two  counties.  Hence  it  is  not  surprising  to  find 
a system  of  high  farming. 
Most  of  the  farms  are  well  supplied  with  very  good  imple- 
ments and  with  excellent  Dutch  barns,  in  some  cases  of  huge 
dimensions,  to  protect  their  produce.  The  houses  and  buildings 
are,  as  a rule,  very  good. 
