The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1862-01-28 00:00:00

2lpitillitat,

THE ROYAL FARM AND Darn AT WINDSOR:PET
the following interesting partioalan e are indebted to
the Scottish "%scour :—When the Prince Consort
established the Model Fairei at Progrnore, it had become
fashionable to attach sack appendages to the mansions
of the nobility ; but it was not as a nere pasaing whim
or freak of fashion that he followed the example that
had been already net. The Prince made himself
practically acquainted with all the details of farm
management, took • personal interest in, and
occasionally gave general superintendence to, the opera.
tions of the farm, tested the value of new processes and
new machinery, and took a pride in rendering the
establishment as perfect as possible in all its details. It
was in November last that we paid • visit to the royal
farm at Frogmen, when we little dreamed of the
calamity which was soon to lend a new and melancholy
interest to our recollections of the place. After passing
• little way down the Long Walk, you turn up a road
ou the left, which leads you to the farm, on the skirt.
of the Home Park, A plain but elegant building of
white brick serves as the residence of Mr. Tait, the
manager of the farm. The farm-steading occupies
about an acre and a-half. The pigs are the first speci-
mens of live-stook to which we were introduced. They
occupy • range of comfortable huts, with roomy, we
end well-swept enclosures in front. To such
clean, tidy places the term styes" cannot be applied
in its ordinary sense. The animals themselves were
' fine examples of their order, with skins so pure and
transparent that you could see the blue veins under-
neath, as readily as on the milk-white hands of the
fairest lady in the land, and with tails of the most
dignified curl, as became pigs under royal patronage.
There were pigs in various stages of growth, from the
little youngsters, the natural contour of whose figures
you could admire, to the fat monsters whose shape was
like that of an overgrown sausage, who were in such •
wretched state of helplessness that they mild not lift
op their snonta for a sniff of freah sir, but required a
brick under their jaws to keep them from being stilled in
the strew. Next we came to A couple of bulls and some
half-dozen oxen of various breeds, all in tip-top condi-
tion. The cow house was, however, a finer sight. It is
I a large, light, airy building with a lofty roof, and is
kept scrupulously clean. The stalls for the kine are of
elate; and to each is affixed the name of the cow to
which it is allotted, There are about sixty stalls alto-
gether, arranged in two rows. The pathway between
the rows is paved with tiles. The herd being in an ad-
joining field, we proceeded thither to have a look at
them, and found that it included several magnificent
specimens of the sleek, contented shorthorns, the more
sprightly, whitefaced Hereford. and the handsome
Devcin. Another large, commodious building was de-
voted to sheep, which were being fattened on the stall
system. The floor is raised some dietetic', from the
ground, in order to feria a receptacle for the droppings
of the sheep, and is pierced with apertures to admit the
same. The place is admirably ventilated, and, consider-
ing the number of animals contained within the walls,
was remarkably free from bad odours. Close at hand
Is the root store and cutting machine. A noticeable
fasten in this part of the establishment is the truck
and tram-road, by which a quick and easy means of
communication is established between the root store
and the sheep shed. Our attendant informed us that
by this means several hundred sheep could be supplied
with food in aboat ten minutes. A steam-engine (of 8-
horse power, if we recollect rightly) works the station-
ary machinery of the farm. The implement stock in-
cludes nearly all the most improved inventions of
recent times. The stables and horns (chiefly Clydes-
dale) call for no especial notice. We were pleased to ob-
serve thin, while a capital residence was provided forth,
manager, the "hinds" were not neglected. The " bothy"
is represented by • snug, trim brick building, of two
storeys, which is plainly but comfortably fitted up. One
of the lower rooms is used as a night-school, being
fitted up with desks and benches, and adorned with
maps and educational placards. A teacher is provided
at the expense of Her Majesty. Altogether, about
forty people are employed on the fame. The
abundant use of machinery, of course diminishes
the demand for manual labour. Near Frog-
more Lodge (the residence of the late Duchess
of Kent) stands a magnificent dairy, which was only
completed during the past year. It is built of Bath
stone and brisk, and is in the Italian style. The moils
covered with red and blue tiles, in alternate lines. The
exterior presents • very elegant and graceful appear-
ance, but the chief splendour of the dairy is in the
interior. Anything more gorgeous, and yet chaste and
delicate, we have never seen. Thematis are surrounded
with white marble table,, supported on marble shafts
inlaid with English and Belgian marble, and on these
are ranged the snow-white basins of milk and cream.
Beneath, a constant stream of cold water flows through
I reservoirs of a blueish encaustic tile. The walls are
lined with tiles of delicate tint and pattern, and are
pierced with ten windows, of richly-stained glass, in
which hawthorn-bloesono, daisies, buttercups, and prim-
roses form a lovely garland. The operations of the
husbandman, and the seasons of the year, are repre-
sented in delicate bas-reliefs. The frieze bears portraits
of Her Majesty, the late Prince Consort, and the whole
of the Royal Family, with esouteheous and monograms.
The ripple of three little fountains breaks pleasantly
upon the ear, and enhances the cool fresh aspect of the
chamber. One of these consists of • beautiful female
figure of stained marble giving water from a vase;
while in the other two a triton seated in one shell bears
a smaller one, from which intim • jet of water, En-
caustic tiles of a rich pattern form the floor. Altogether,
the effect is charming ; the rich pattern from the light
cast through the stained glees contrasting pleasantly
with the delicate tinta of the walls and tables. This
formed a favourite resort of the Royal children during
their residence at Windsor. The real work of the
dairy, is, however done, not'in this splendid apartment,
but in • humble one which is adjacent. The late Prince
Consort took especial interest in the treatment of the
dairy, whir* bears numerous marks of his judgment
and good taste.

El7lOlB 01 FROST.—A remarkable instance of the
effete of severe frost on iron oocurred at the Ordnance
Wharf, Chatham, on Saturday. During the day a party
of eonvicte were employed in removing a number of the
large 10-inch guns from one part of the establishment to
another, in readiness for embarkation, In order to
facilitate the operation the large steam crane was brought
into requisition to lift the guns, but scarcely had one of
the 10-inch guns, weighing 95 out., been attached to the
gear than the massive chain which held it suddenly
snapped just as the cannon was only a few feet from the
ground. What makes the accident appear the more
remarkable Is thelfact that not the slightest flaw could be
detected in the metal of whieh the chain is composed,
the chain itself being made to sustain double the weight,
and only a few days before having been used in lifting
weights of seven tons. At the moment of the gun
falling, although several of the convicts were at work
within • couple of feet of it, not one was injured.