Nm-thumberland and Durham in 1887. 
241 
rest in their work. The head shepherd had been at his post 
twenty-seven years. 
The colliers' houses were all in good order, and their family 
wants, both temporal, educational, and spiritual, were well pro- 
vided for by good shops, schools, and places of worship. The 
Co-operative Stores' principle of supplying their wants was 
largely adopted. Coals were supplied to them free, and were 
carted^ to upwards of 2,500 houses tenanted by the colliers and 
by the numerous clerks and officials. 
The farm called '-Over the Hill" contained 150 acres, and 
was known as Lord Durham's model farm. It was situated in a 
vallev with good roads running on each side of it, and had first- 
class stone buildings about the centre of the land, with three 
cottages for workmen adjoining, all built so as to form good 
compact premises. There were 32 boxes for winter-feeding 
bullocks, with open yards, and sheds on the outside for imple- 
ments and for store cattle to run under fi-om the fields during 
storm or from the heat of the sun in summer. All the crops on 
this fai'm, both green crops and com crops, were remarkably 
good. The fences, chiefly strong thorn hedges, were well kept 
and neatly trimmed, and the whole occupation beyond adverse 
criticism. 
Bowes House Farm was not so complete, but it had exten- 
sive and substantial buildings, in which were fixed the steam- 
power and machineiy for grinding com, and generally preparing 
the mixture for the colliery ponies. There was a large and 
well-filled stack-yard, and a lambing-yard, with a large number 
of small pens around for the accommodation of a fine flock of 
12 score of Leicester ewes at lambing time. About 30 shearling 
rams of first-class quality were being prepared for sale, and all 
the pastui'es were more than full enough of stock, because of 
the dry weather. Water had to be carted into troughs placed 
in the fields ; and, said the shepherd, " We have not been so 
badly off" for meat for 19 years on account of the drought." 
Notwithstanding this, the mangel-wurzel crops were both very 
forward and very healthy-looking. The swedes were all fresh, 
and covered the ground completely. 
There was a large number of fine feeding bullocks and heifers 
in the buildings on this farm at all our visits. There were 
some very fine young horses in the cart stable, and a double- 
engined set of Fowler's steam tackle, used for ploughing the 
strong land. Indeed, the whole occupation bespoke not only 
extensive means with which to work, but great capacity in using 
them. We saw the hall, with its magnificent buildings and its 
large and well-kept gardens ; the park, with its seven-mile long 
wall to fence it in ; tlie colliers' cottages, the churches and 
VOL. XXIV. — s. s. e 
