THE ROYAL FARMS AT WINDSOR.

Clutha Leader, Volume II, Issue 74, 9 December 1875, Page 7

THE ROYAL FARMS AT WINDSOR.

There are three separate farms within the precincts of Windsor forest— the Norfolk, the Flemish, and the Prince Consort's Shaw farm. Most of the' stock wbich have been -..winning prizes at the recent agricultural shows are kept at the first? and second. Upon both of them a large amount of capital 1 has been expended, and- the money has doubtless been laid out to a good pur pose, for these farms must, to judge merely by what one sees, pay well. But the Queen's favorite^ farm is that nearest the Castle, and called as already mentioned, the Prince Consort's Shaw j Farm, consisting of about 1100 acres, of which more than nine-tenths ars in pasture) nearly all iri a, ring-fence. This" As one of. the nicest holdings in the Kingdom, and is, indeed, as perfect a specimen of a grazing, farm, as anyone could wish to see.. The entrance to the homestead 1 is fro in the road leading to Old Windsor,, about 200 yards beyond where that road crosses the Long Walk. Large shafts are now being Jsunk 1 all along this road in connection with the 1 sewage-, operations: which are going oh, for it is intended to carry all the sewage : of Windsor out to a farm in the parish ! of ©ld' : Windsor;? about a mile and a half distant? The lomestead itself is a | very good-one ; the bailiff's house find a very?pretty cottage, now occupied by two; £f the Queen's gardeners, are reidly model residences. The farm building's

themselves have-alsoi.beeiirerec.ted with every/regard; to -the, -purposes for-which they.- are; used, -but it is«a pity fthat, in order td save appearances, the cattle sheds haye , su^ch low roofs, . If they had been from eighteen inches tb two feet higher than they are, thdy would have been much more healthy; and even raided to this height the roofs. of the buildings would not be seen from the Castle grounds. The. covered pens for harbouring sheep during the winter are open to the same objection, but in other respects they are perfect. There is very little stock in the .buildings at the present time, and the foot and mouth disease" has been so prevalent on the Pririce Consort's $%aw Farm this summer that nothing has been Tshown from there. „

A short walk through the pastures at the back of Frogmpre House takes one from the farm buildings to the Royal dairy, which is of itself worth a. visit, When permission can-be had.. The dairy is a perfect gem, and far surpasses ! anything : which Marie Antoinette achieved at the . Petit Trianon. The ; majolica and mosiac of the walls, which ! are. studded with medallions ot ,the ; Queen, the Prince Consd.t, and their children, ttie double "roof and threefold ; windows — the inner window being of; stained glass — the milk-pans in white ; and gold, and the curious inlaid floor,: represent a large sum of money. All i the butter made there-is sent to tile Isle; of Wight daily, and to Scotland three times a week, when the Court is at Osborne or Balmoral, and fruit and veget-: ables are always despatched at the 'same; time. The cows which supply this ; dairy stand in a long range of stalls? close by,' and several of them also have; been afflicted with the. foot-and-mouth; disease. There are a few bulls standing in these sheds, among them being two Swiss animals presented to the Queen, a buffalo, and "King. Koffee." t The! last-named is an Ash an tee bull, scarcely as large as a goat, brought back from Coomassie, and he is only kept -as acuriosity. Close to the dairy is the poultry-house, which contains some very good gol d-and -silver pheasants, some Andalusian fowls,- and a few of the oldfashioned *• Scotch greys." In the centre of tbis poultry-house, or aviary , ; is a little cottage, in which the Queen used to come for her five o'clock tea ; but, since Frogmore has been empty, she has no further use for it,

In reference to the laborers on the farms, it may safely be said that they are very well cared for. When there were some signs of discontent among the men employed on the Osborne estate, calculations were made as to the amount received by the Windsor men. in money or in kind. Though the money payments. are. only 14s a week for ordinary laborers, it is estimated that, what with house-rent, fuel, milk, and other advantages, their wages are equivalent to little less than a pound a week. Nor is this all ; for the bailiff has a sort of savings-bank fund for the men who learn to read and write, and some of them have done so well that they have as much as £20 standing to their credit.—' Pall Mall Budget.'