506 
Typical Farms in Fast Anglia. 
the ewes with double lambs were folded on sainfoin, getting a fresh brake 
daily. 
The pigs on the farm are sold off as small porkers when they weigh about 
5 imperial stones. 
On the strong clay portion of the farm the mangel was sown in rows 36 
inches apart, and on June 8 furnished a strong, good plant after being singled 
out. To me a novel system of cultivation was being pursued in the mangel 
field. 
An ordinary plough, minus the mould board, was being run on each side 
of the rows, quite close to the plants, at a depth of 4 or 5 inches. On strong 
clay soil this system of cultivation drains the water from the young plants 
and opens up the soil to the action of the air, while at the same time it 
assists in the cleaning of the land. 
On the stronger clay fields Mr. Parsons uses shoes or sledge-shaped sup- 
ports under the beams of the ploughs in place of the ordinary wheels. These 
shoes are said to work better than wheels on the sticky clays, as the latter 
are apt to wind up and become useless. 
Mr. Parsons still threshes a considerable quantity of his corn with flails. 
There is a very large barn on the farm which is filled in the autumn, and, 
during winter, and at odd times, when work is slack, the grain is threshed 
out with flails. 
The labour on the farm runs to 30s. per acre. 
5. The Farm of Mi;. P. 11. IIolbev, Barton, near Cambridge. 
This is a large arable farm, the management of which is somewhat 
different from any other inspected. Almost the whole of the straw is sold 
oft' and horse manure is bought on. By an arrangement with the London 
and North-Western Railway Company, Mr. Tlolben’s straw goes to their 
stables, while he buys their horse manure, delivered at Lord’s Bridge Station, 
near the extremity of the farm. 
Another feature is steam cultivation, two sets of tackle being kept on the 
farm. 
Farming 850 acres, under five different landlords, and 150 acres belonging 
to himself, Mr. Iiolben has experience of several sorts of land. With a pro- 
portion of strong clay of good quality there is a considerable breadth of poor 
clay land, difficult to work, and not at all kindly. 
There are 900 acres of arable and 100 acres of grass land. 
No exact statement was given as to rent, although it was spoken of as 
being rather under 30s. an acre. The rates were put at 148/., and the labour 
bill at 1,400/. 
The numbers of stock were — 
24 horses. 
4 cows. 
550 sheep. 
935 lambs. 
55 pigs. 
And 200 head of poultry. 
The four-course system is strictly adhered to, except on the higher lying 
poor clays, where grasses are now left down for three or four years. A 
neighbouring farm, adjoining the poor fields, has gone out of cultivation. It 
has been found that these poor fields, if sown away in a clean state, will, 
for several years, carry a fair covering of grass. This system, while saving 
the labour bill, insures a certain amount of out run for the ewe flock at 
seasons of the year advantageous to the stock and to the working of the 
better fields. Last year only 14/. 7s. was expended on artificial manures, 
but 581 tons 3 cwt. and 3 qrs. of horse manure was bought on, at the cost of 
116/. 4s. fit/. 
