The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-07-04
VICTORIA AS a FARMER.
rsste she Has Inherited from Farmer
Geoige"
From the PaHMaH Gazette.

matter of surprise "a mud the queen
f.rn,ar. Farmer George" did much to i'm
prove the Windsor farm and MS tastes have
shown themselves very strongly both In his
granddaughter and Ereat-grandson, the
7raeu and the Prince If Wales. But the
,1raat Developments d the operations at
Windsor were due tc the fostering hand of
+ba late prince 4 eonsort, who gave
inch of bOtn time and trouble to the work,
cd the improvements in the farm itself,
in its buildings, and in the quality of the
s+ocly were made under his personal direc-
non. Therefore, though the predecessors
of her ma jesty haveall taken more or less
interest in farming, yet it Is during the
present reign that this has been taken up
with determination 70 make the Windsor
estate what it ia model farm or farms,
for there are several. In this work
the prince cOasort was strongly
supported by the queen who ever
took the deepest interest in
his work. Since MS death the improve
ments and developments have been con-
tinued, not merely as a sacred duty, as it
would have been in any case, but with an
evident ple asure, and as an example to
others who have SIMILAR opportunities. At
Balmoral and Osborne similar work was
also carried on, but necessarily to a lesser
extent than at Windsor. To a large ex-
tent, therefore, in looking at the queen as a
farmer, we must sueak of her i'll conjunction
with her lamented husband.
In her farming her majesty occupies a
position which she is seldom accorded.
Probably il is generally thought that the
farms at Windsor are on land for which no
rent is paid, and carried on regardless of
whether they can be made to pay or NOT.
This is not u1e case, and 1t may surprise
many to lean that the queen is a tenant
farmer, and like every other occupant of
this by no means enviable position of late
years, has had her rent to pay, and pos
sibly has known what it is to be unable to
make both EMS meet. Whether the queen
has sought for and obtained, like
nearly every other tenant farmer,
substantial reduction OF rent we are I'M
able to say. This will be a secret locked in
the breasts of her landlords, the commits
sioners of woods and forests and the heads
OF the Windsor farms. These are now prac-
ticallV two II numher-the Shaw farm and
the Flemish farm. The former will be
available to visitors at the time of the
royal show and doubtless be visited by large
numbers, who viii be delighted with the
splendid position, the fine houses and build
ings and TIE firstclass manner in which
everything is conducted. Especially will
the magnificent dairy be regarded with adj
miration, a9 il is probably the finest build
ing of its kind in tle world. At one time
the Norfolk, BagsAot and Rapley farms
were all held by til, queen, but they were
given up lew Yeas ago. That at Bagshot
is now in the occupation of the Duke of
Connaught.
Soon after his marriage to her majesty
the prince consort bNgan to give his atten-
ton to the farming operations at Windsor,
IN reality himself becoming their tenant
hon ha h,
was conferred upon him he officially di-
rected the work of improving the park,
which has since been carried on to such a
successful end. This position enabled him to
secure the execution Of extensive schemes of
drainage, and he personally observed the
work as it progressed. In 1910 Prince Al
bert became member Of the Smithfieid
Club, and this was his first official connec.
tion with agriculture. In 1913 he became
an exhibitor at the show of that club, aud
then onward every year since that time the
farms In his or the queens possession have
been represented more or less at the lead
ing agricultural and fat stock shows. 1t
was not until two years after the formation
of the Royal Agricultural Society that
Prince Albert became member, which he
did in lS41 by taxing the position of life
governor.
The Shaw farm, so called because it was
at one time held, before the estate was pur-
chased by the crown, by a Frenchman, M
de Shave, was more lately an appanage of
Frogmore, and was occupied by the
Princess Augusta; but on her death in 1910
the prince consort took it in hand, contInu-
ing as the tenant till his death in. 1868, since
which time it has been in the occupation of
her majesty. Here we find the splendid
farm buildings which form one of its chief
characteristics. The cost of the buildings
erected by the prince must have
been enormous, and with those on
the home farm must have absorbed
very large sum of money. They are
adapted for the breeding of stock, and at
the present time there are upward of 200
head of stock on the place, besides large
number of sheep and pigs. The principal
herds are those of ShOrthorns and JERSEYS.
but There are also a number of Herefords
and Devons. The object is not merely
ornamental, for the practical production of
beef and dairy produc9 is ever kept ia
view. Considerable success has been
achieved IN the production of fat stock,
and tho prizes won at leading Christmas
shows have proved that the system of feed
ing is thoroughly understood by those in
charge of the farm The operations are
and have been closely watched by members
OF the royal family, and at the residence of
Mr. TAFT, the manager, who succeeded to
"e12 PSnAb4Otl Va ZIG NGtlbu Ol lis IdUU6F IN
1852, there is suite of apartments
devoted to tho use of her majesty,
from which she can privately go through
the entire range of buildings 1t is the
dairy farm, near which is the magnificent
range of poultry houses, where in DAYS gone
by members of the family were won't to
walk in the morning, and in the comforta-
bic room which forms the center of the
block, partake of newlaid eggs, that will
attract chiefly the attention Of visitors. The
magnificent dairy was built according to
the directions Of the prince consort, and it
embodieS all that is desirable in a place
where cream and butter are to be kept. The
cowhouse which supplies the milk for use in
the dairy is very handsome, and the records
Kept of the production of each animal are
most complete. In every way this home
farm deserves the name it has SO long re-
ceived-that of Model"
Recognizing the Importance of helping
the workers on the estate, among tie vari-
Gus improvements effected have been the
dwellings of laborers, which are now
worthy of tho whole place And in the
FIRST year Of his tenancy Prince Albert
established an evening school for his work
people, which is continued still, and has
been the means of doing large amount of
good. Both these examples have been fol-
lowed by the Prince Of Wales on his Sand
rlngham estates, for the heir-apparent has
the same tastes as have been so strongly
shown in his progenitors, immediate and
remote