The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-03-09
EDWARD VII, FARMER.
His Model Farms, Which Were Organ
lied by the Prince COnsOrt.

London Mail.
The interest which the King has always
taken in agriculture will no doubt be in
creased by his coming into possession of
the famous Windsor farms, which the
prince consort remodeled.
These are now two in number-the Shaw
farm. a short distance from the castle. In
the direction of old Windsor, containing
about 40 acres; and the Flemish farm,
which covers some 400 acres of the outlying
neighborhood.
The farms exist to-day in almost the
same form and with almost the same culti-
walton as in the days of the prince consort.
The mixed farming, which insures that all
the eggs shall not be in one basket. was
first taught in this country by the prince
consort, and the royal farms at Windsor
are still among the highest examples Of its
successful practice.
The prince consort's Shaw farm is the
one which stands first, its magnificent
model b~uildings-a well-planned combina-
ton of stabling, cattle boxes, stalls and
yards, poultry house and piggeries-as well
as the fact that ii is the home farm of the
historic home Of the sovereigns of England,
marking 1t out for this position.
This farm is the latest acquired of all the
Windsor estates belonging to the crown.
having been purchased some two hundred
years ago from the former owner, a
Frenchman, NJ. De Shave, and ii is his
name that still attaches to the land. Till
ISfJ, Wnen the prince cOnSOrt look tnem IN
hand, the home farm included merely the
park and grounds of the castle, and the
Shaw farm had been an appanage of Frog
more. The prince consort became the ten
ant of it and of the home grounds in 1919,
and since 1863 the late Queen Victoria had
been tenant.
King Edward VII now comes into pos
session. The landlords are the commits
sioners of woods and forests, so that the
King is really a tenant farmer. During the
time of the prince consort the rent and
taxes paid for the holdings amounted TO
over f1,0O "a year. Besides providing tho
necessary capital for the cultivation and
equipment, the prince consort also invested
buildings for both farms.
The house occupied by Mr.. TAFT, the land
| steward, is detached from the homestead.
end contains a suite of apartments for the
Gas did the late Queen) walk in comparative
privacy through the range of commodious
buildings and inspect the cattle which are
being repaired for exhibition.
Several hundred head of cattle Of differ
ent sorts are to be seen on the farm, many
OF them Jerseys and nonpedigree short
horns, kept for dairy purposes. Nearly a
hundred pigs are generally kept. and a
great many half-bred ewes. The chief OBJ
jects of the farm are the breeding OF AMI
mails for food and the provision Of dairy
produce.
The Flemish farm is situate in Windsor
Great Park. 1t received its name at the
hands OF King George w, and consists Of
240 acres of arabic and 10 of pasture land.
The great feature of the farm is the home
stead, which was erected at a cost of 5000.
OF which over five-sixths were paid by the
tenant. and which at the time was regarded
as the most complete set of farm buildings
ever erected.
Many homesteads nave been modelled
after ii. The farm is noted for its pure
bred herds of Herefords and Devons, and
Berkshire pigs.