308 
Farm Prize Competition , 1913. 
The second prize in Class I. was awarded to Mr. Henry 
Bridgman, for Cleeve Hill Farm, Down end, Bristol. His farm 
is situated about four miles north-east from Bristol ; it is about 
45Q acres in extent, rather more than one-half being grass. 
The soil is light, overlying the Pennant grit, which is not 
generally productive of the best soils. The farm-house is 
pleasantly situated, and the buildings are commodious and 
well planned. In some points they require bringing up to date 
a little, as for example in the floors of the cowhouses, which are 
not laid to admit of the cows’ udders being kept clean. The 
hedges and the stone walls were in 
good repair, but the nettles 
in both might be kept closer cut with advantage. Mr. Bridgman 
aims at having the same quantity of land under corn as under 
roots and clover every year, but he does not adhere strictly to a 
rotation. His cropping for this year was : — 
Boots .... 
50 acres. 
Barley .... 
45 „ 
Clover .... 
50 „ 
Peas .... 
6 „ 
Wheat . . 
35 ,, 
Oats .... 
. 14 „ 
200 
Vetches and trifolium are grown as catch crops, and the 
land is sown with roots when they come off. The roots receive 
artificial manure, but superphosphate is avoided on account 
of the tendency to finger-and-toe on this land. Probably 
a dressing of lime would prevent this, and would also have a 
mellowing influence on the soil. The steely nature of the clods 
also suggested the need for lime, and it might be remarked that 
it is a pity farmers do not more generally avail themselves of 
the facilities for cheap analysis for lime in soils which are 
offered nowadays in every locality. A field of swedes showed 
signs of good heart, and was fairly clean, the only weeds being 
annuals in the rows, which would disappear in the singling ; 
but the judges commented on the dirty state of a fallow after 
wheat following sainfoin. Thus, the difficulty of cleaning light 
land after an old sainfoin ley again appears, and it might be 
worth while to consider the advisability of taking a crop of 
mustard after sainfoin, and then vetches, to smother some 
of the weeds, before putting in wheat. Only a few rows of 
potatoes, grown for the men, were to be seen ; formerly more 
were grown and sold in the ground to Bristol dealers at prices 
ranging from 1 51. to 20 1. per acre. No artificials were used, 
and considering the proximity of a splendid market it seems a 
question whether the crop might not once more be exceedingly 
profitable if grown in accordance with more modern ideas on 
manuring. 
