A HISTORY OF DURHAM 



sheep of the lowland pasture were chiefly of the Leicester breed, with black- 

 faced on the hill farms, the cross between the Leicester ram and the Cheviot 

 ewe being popular. A hind's wage was then 12s. to 13J. a week, with 

 cottage and garden, while day labourers received zs. to 2s. bd. and women 

 field workers \od. a day. Many of the drains put in at this time were only 

 30 inches deep. An estimate of the cost worked out to the low amount of 

 ^3 lOJ. an acre. 



When the show of the Royal Agricultural Society was held at Newcastle 

 in 1887, the Earl of Durham (Lambton Castle), was awarded the first prize 

 of ^^50 for the best farm in Durham or Northumberland, occupied and 

 carried on in conjunction with a colliery. As large areas are now farmed 

 by colliery proprietors, mainly to avoid meeting claims for surface damage by 

 tenant farmers, this kind of farming has become very important. The two 

 farms which obtained the prize extended to 759 acres. The stock comprised 

 17 horses, 170 cattle, nearly 600 sheep, 290 lambs, 20 pigs, and 37 ponies. 

 Over 3,000 loads of dung were made annually, which was supplemented by 

 artificials and some gas lime. At the previous Christmas sale on the farm 

 49 fat bullocks had realized on the average ^^29 5;-. and in the following 

 June, 59 fat cattle gave an average of jC^S- The arable land was farmed on 

 the four-course system. 



In the final Report of the Royal Commission on Agricultural Depres- 

 sion, issued in 1897, it was stated that in the north-eastern counties (includ- 

 ing Durham) arable farmers had lost from the fall in the price of grain, and 

 sheep breeders from the fall in wool and the low prices for sheep in 1892-3. 

 Graziers and horse-breeders had done better, while dairy-farmers had hardly 

 suffered. Arable farms were let at twenty to thirty per cent, less than in 

 1879, but the reduction was less on grass farms. Farms were let readily, 

 although farmers had lost large amounts of capital. Landlords' outgoings on 

 improvements had increased considerably, so that the net rental had suffered 

 more than the gross. 



Having thus completed our survey of the agricultural history of Durham 

 during the nineteenth century, it will be advisable before dealing with the 

 present state of agriculture in the county, to consider the important and per- 

 manent factor of the soil. 



The New Red Sandstone formation underlies the drift deposits to the 

 south-east of a line from the Hartlepools to Darlington, but is all covered 

 with Boulder Clay and Glacial Sands (drift). The clays on the Boulder 

 Clay here are better and more loamy in character, as a considerable amount 

 of the underlying sandstone is found in them. The Magnesian Limestone 

 extends from this to an irregular line drawn from South Shields by Houghton- 

 le-Spring to Ferryhill, and thence by the east of Bishop Auckland and by 

 Headlam to the Tees, one and a half miles east of Gainford. This limestone 

 immediately underlies much of the county between Sunderland and Ferry- 

 hill, where it forms a reddish brown soil, often thin, light and poor where it 

 rests on the rock. Where it is overlaid by Boulder Clay, however, the clay 

 soils are usually of a poor and infertile character, and recent field experiments 

 indicate that the soils formed directly from this limestone are in special need 

 of phosphatic manuring. Still further to the west the Coal Measures extend 

 to a line drawn from the north-west boundary of the county at Wylam, right 



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