INTRODUCTION. 



Dairy Investigations in County Durham 

 and the North-East of England. 



The Agricultural Department of Armstrong College, New- 

 castle-upon-Tyne, commenced an inquiry into the variations 

 in the composition of milk at the beginning of 1903. The 

 first tests were made at the request of the Northumberland 

 and Durham Dairy Farmers' Association, and these were 

 elaborated at the instigation of the Northumberland County 

 Council, which desired that some reliable information on the 

 subject should be placed before the dairy farmers of that 

 County. 



It was soon felt, however, to be desirable that work of 

 a more permanent character should be carried out ; and, as 

 the Northumberland station at Cockle Park is mainly engaged 

 in work connected with farm crops and the rearing and feed- 

 ing of live stock, the authorities of Armstrong College sub- 

 mitted a scheme for experiments in dairy work to the Durham 

 County Council. This scheme was accepted, and as a result 

 the work is now being done at Offerton Hall, about 3 miles 

 from Sunderland. This farm is about 580 acres in extent, 

 165 acres of which are pasture, and there is a herd of 50 

 dairy cows. By arrangement with Mr. James McLaren, the 

 tenant of the farm, the College authorities may at any time 

 select 10 cows for an experiment, and place them in a separate 

 cow-house, while experiments in calf-rearing may also be 

 undertaken. A laboratory and a weigh-bridge have been 

 provided. 



