A HISTORY OF DURHAM 



Taking into consideration all the facts we may consider that the agricul- 

 ture of the county is in a comparatively healthy condition. Reduced prices 

 for grain and other farm produce generally and the increased cost of labour 

 are serious drawbacks, but the dense population provides good local markets 

 for all kinds of farm produce, even for by-products which are not saleable in 

 thinly populated districts. Mining villages, when some distance from a port, 

 are much better markets for the farmer than towns like Newcastle or Stockton, 

 as foreign produce incurs the cost of the local transit from the port to the 

 inland villages. The Durham agriculturists as a class are hard-working and 

 energetic, and as a rule make the best of their farms, while they are fortunate 

 in possessing several important educational establishments and a number of 

 useful agricultural societies. 



This county has taken a prominent part in agricultural research. George 

 CuUey, the greatest farmer of his time, was born at Denton in 1734, went to 

 Bakewell, the leading pioneer breeder of live stock in Leicestershire, as a pupil 

 in 1762, became, with his brother, the great agricultural improver of Durham 

 and Northumberland, and died in 18 13. 



An Experimental Society of Agriculture met in Durham in July 1796, 

 and passed resolutions to establish an experimental farm in the county. This 

 was to extend to at least 200 acres, to be stocked with a variety of the best 

 breeds of live stock and with proper machines and implements, and an annual 

 mm of X^300 was to be raised to enable the experimental work to be done 

 thoroughly.^ Nothing definite came of this, but an Experimental Society 

 was formed at Rushyford in 1803, of which the brothers Colling were 

 members. This society carried out most careful experiments on the farms 

 of its members, and Bailey gives the results of many of these which deal 

 with tests of varieties of corn and root crops, as well as with lime and 

 manures from different sources. The tests of varieties of crops were most 

 thorough, and as a result of these experiments with lime they have the 

 credit of showing that 'the lime produced from the limestones which lie 

 to the eastward of the coal district ' had marked burning effects on the 

 crops, and produced what was called the 'burning lime'; while 'the lime 

 to the westward of the coal district produces no such effect, and is hence 

 called the mild lime.' Thus early did it become known that the magnesian 

 limestones of the east of the county did not usually produce good agricul- 

 tural lime like the mountain limestones to the west. 



Thomas Bates, the great shorthorn breeder, who was closely connected 

 with the county, at the age of thirty-five attended courses of instruction in 

 agricultural science in Edinburgh University during 1809— 11 to equip himself 

 thoroughly as an agriculturist. Johnston, the noted agriculturist and chemist, 

 held the Readership in Chemistry in Durham University from 1833 to 

 1855, and was also chemist to the Agricultural Chemistry Association of 

 Scotland. His work on Agricultural Chemistry and Geology is still in use 

 in a revised form. Although Scotland claimed most of his attention, he 

 made considerable investigations into the soils and limestones of this county. 

 His trustees contributed to the cost of equipment of the 'Johnston' chemical 

 laboratory of Armstrong College, Newcastle, and also founded scholarships 

 in chemistry at that college. 



' Young, Annals of Agr'u. xxvii, 204. 

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