102 Agriculture of Durham. 



the town of Stalndrop. The soil is loamy, and in general very 

 productive. A large proportion of the land round about the 

 town is in old grass for the use of the inhabitants. The tillage 

 land is worked on the four-course system, and the rotation is 

 generally — turnips, wheat, clover, and oats. The oat stubble is 

 ploughed in November, and again in the spring, when from 20 

 to 25 loads of dung per acre is laid on, or a proportionate quan- 

 tity of bone or other manure, and the turnip-seed is sown in 

 drills. The quantity of seed varies according to the soil ; 2 lbs. 

 per acre may be an average. The average produce of the turnip 

 crop will vary from 30 to 40 loads per acre according to the 

 season. The turnips are either eaten off by sheep, or pulled 

 and stored in pits for stall-feeding of cattle, &c. As soon as 

 the turnips are off the ground, the land is again ploughed, and 

 wheat sown ; the quantity of seed 2i to 3 bushels per acre. 

 The average produce of wheat differs very much in various dis- 

 tricts. On the poorer soils from 12 to 20 bushels. On the 

 district of which we are now writing, it may be from 20 to 30 

 bushels. As soon as the wheat has received one harrowing after 

 sowing, the grass seeds are sown. The quantity of seed varies 

 from 14 to 16 lbs. per acre. When the grass is to pasture one 

 year, there is generally sown 8 lbs. red, 1 lb. white clover, and 

 half a bushel of rye-grass per acre. If it is intended to cut for 

 hay, a larger quantity of seeds are given. The seeds remain for 

 one or two years either mown or pastured, and are generally 

 broken up before winter, and oats sown in February or March. 

 The oats are sown bi'oadcast. The quantity of seed is from 3 to 

 5 bushels per acre, according to the kinds, and the average pro- 

 duce from 40 to GO bushels. The rotation on the lighter soils 

 adjoining to the river Tees, west of Darlington, is generally 

 turnips, barley, clover, and wheat. Most of the tillage lands in 

 that district are drained and well pulverised. They produce 

 generally an excellent quality of barley, with an average yield of 

 from 3G to 42 bushels an acre. On the better class of soils, 

 where many horses and cattle are kept, the clover is allowed to 

 remain longer than on others — generally for two or three years. 

 Perhaps sufficient pains are not taken sometimes to have the 

 land in a clean condition, and well broken down when the seeds 

 are sown ; at least there are many cases where the clover comes 

 up full of weeds ; and there have been many more in this county 

 lately, where it either does not come up at all, or " goes off" on 

 the second year. I can reckon up six different places at which 

 I have just seen the fields in course of being ploughed up because 

 the clover had entirely failed. On such a thing taking place, 

 the fanner endeavours to get another crop into the ground as 

 early as possible. If it is the second year the clover fails, oats 



