Agriculture of Durham. 95 



draining will answer in nine cases out of every ten.* In the pre- 

 sent case shallow draining reached all the requirements of this 

 enclosure, and we next had the whole of the surface pared and 

 the sods burnt. Lime was next laid on, and the whole ploughed 

 in. This was done in the autumn, and the ground lay over the 

 winter. In spring it was ploughed again, oats sown on it, and 

 well harrowed. Four bushels an acre were sown broadcast, and 

 the produce was about 54 bushels an acre. The next crop was 

 potatoes, well manured, of which there was also a most satis- 

 factory crop. This was succeeded by wheat sown down with 

 seeds, the land being intended for permanent pasture. In its 

 present condition it is equal to any grass-land in the county, and 

 lets for 4/. an acre. 



T/ie icorMufi of the Minerals an obstacle to the improvement of 

 the surface. — Before proceeding further into my subject, I may 

 be allowed to point out the great obstacle to the improvement of 

 agriculture or the cultivation of the surface of this county, which 

 arises from the immense wealth which has been, and still is, 

 derived from the minerals beneath. No other county is so inter- 

 woven with a network of public and private railways. Ill no 

 other is there so large a cjuantity of land occupied by collieries, 

 manufactories, c^uarries, waste heaps, &c. ; and in none, perhaps, 

 is there a more extensive trade carried on in the working, manu- 

 facturing, and sale of coal, limestone, ironstone, and lead, — all 

 inducing a sacrifice of the interests of the surface for the sake of 

 what lies below it. There is an enormous amount of trespass 

 involved in all this trade. Tiie pitmen especially are notorious 

 for making roads for themselves in every direction, just as their 

 necessity rer^uires. Fences are destroyed, and crops are too often 

 trodden down. This is disheartening to the tenant, but he begins 

 to tolerate it when he finds that the collieries want to occupy a 

 large portion of his land. Fresh heap-room is recjuired, or it 

 may be new waggon-ways have to be formed ; and the farmer 

 begins to grow careless of agricultural improvement when he 

 finds, on the one hand, that all his improvements bid fair to be 

 destroyed by freali recjuirements of the colliery owners, or by the 

 trespass of a reckless population around him, — or, on the other 

 hand, that it is more profitaljle to receive liis " double damage " 

 from the colliery than to make increased efforts for the improve- 

 ment of his land. The " double damage " referred to is double 

 the rent pcT acrc^ which he pays for his land, which the colliery 

 owners are bound to pay him for the full quantity of it which 



* If by shallow draining Dr. Bell means drains not less than three feet, the 

 statement may he adinitti.d. Three feet of soil above the wator-kvel is required 

 in all cases in which any draining at all is likely to do good. — Ku. 



