Agriculture of Durham. 107 



muzzle fine — eyes bright and prominent — ears long and thin — 

 neck gently arching from the shoulders, and small close to the 

 head — breast broad and projecting before the legs — fore thighs 

 muscular and tapering to the knee — legs clean and fine boned — 

 back broad, straight, and flat — hips wide placed, round, and 

 rather higher than the back — carcase, on the whole nearly 

 round." These characteristics are generally developed distinctly 

 enough in the beautiful animals of this breed, to be met with in 

 the county at the present day ; and they have other good qualities 

 of perhaps more substantial consequence. They are moderate 

 eaters, quick feeders, soon come to maturity, and the beef is of 

 first-rate qualit}-. Tiiey are also excellent milkers, and, what 

 is of consequence in some places, they are very docile and quiet 

 to ^o about the onstead. I will not here speak of the plan of 

 fattening them in boxes, which is becoming so general, as I shall 

 have occasion to allude to it in another place.* 



There are many horses bred in this county. In the midland 

 districts of it excellent cart or farm-horses are reared, principally 

 of the Cleveland breed. Further south, along the banks of the 

 Tees, at Gainford and other places, they breed a number of 

 blood horses, which often bring high prices for the saddle. 

 Many excellent hunters are reared in that district. 



The sheep kept on the richer pastures in South Durham are 

 generally the Leicester ; on the iiigher and poor districts tlie 

 black-faced ; in the northern parts of the county the Cheviot ; 

 and in many places the farmers prefer a cross between the 

 Cheviot ewe and the Leicester tup, which has become very plen- 

 tiful. There is also a cross between the Cheviot and the black- 

 faced : indeed, an extensive cattle-dealer, who visits all parts 

 of the county, informs me that there are few sheep in the 

 county of any pure breed, but that he buys crosses of all the 

 breeds in existence. Some of these are greatly preferred to the 

 pure breeds. Pigs are bred and fattened in this county in great 

 numliers, not only by the farmers, but in all the colliery districts 

 every pitman feeds his pig, and throughout the county generally 

 there are few families who have not one or more. It is not pos- 

 sible, or jierhrips necessary, to specily the breeds, as there are 

 so many, and it may bf sufluicnt to atld that every kind is tried, 

 according to the fancy of the l)arty, and all due pains is taken to 

 promote their fattening ; it is a jjoint on yhich great emulation 

 often exists in a country village, who shall kill the heaviest pig. 

 Tiie general weiglit is from 20 to 30 stone, but they occasionally 

 reach much greater weights. 



♦ This part of the report has Ik-oh oinitti'il, ilio ])laii of box-tWdiiig not being 

 peculiar to the county reported mi. 



