322 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



has been hastened by the great value of forest products. Until 

 within the last twenty years, this forest clearing was followed by 

 fire, the drag and grain to enhance the profits. During the last 

 two decades land owners have been more provident, and to con- 

 siderable extent, forest clearings have not been burned, and the 

 land has been allowed again to produce wood, though without 

 special care or culture. Much land also, in rocky, precipitous, 

 exposed localities, which had been burned for grain after taking 

 off the forest, from necessity, has been devoted to growing wood, 

 so that our woodlands are now increasing, and there is a hope- 

 ful prospect that ere long our hills and mountains will be covered 

 with forest. In 1865 these towns had 17,974 acres of woodland ; 

 in 1870 they had 21,536 acres. But though there has been a 

 good increase of the number of acres there has been none in the 

 cords of standing wood, and another decade of the present 

 practice will be needed to produce that result. The value of 

 our forest products now annually sent to market is about $100,- 

 000. Although much of the area of these towns has special 

 adaptations for the production of the cereals, yet stock hus- 

 bandry, the production of beef and dairy products, has always 

 been an important pursuit. The records do not state the fact, 

 but there is the best reason for believing that the first emigrants 

 to our oldest town (Hadley) brought neat stock, sheep and 

 swine with them. The compact which was drawn up and signed 

 just before they emigrated, by the " proprietors" who purchased 

 the land, stipulated that each proprietor besides his " house 

 lot," should have the right to put cattle in the "cow pasture." 

 And very soon after the settlement, in adjusting their relations 

 with the Indians, it was agreed on tbeir part, that the Indians 

 should have the right to hunt and nth on their unoccupied lands, 

 and the Indians agreed that they " would not let down the fences 

 of the inhabitants, or let the cattle and swine upon their fields, 

 nor hunt or kill any cattle, sheep or swine with their dogs." 

 As the settlers were from Connecticut, where they had traded 

 much with the Dutch at Manhattan Island, and with the colo- 

 nists in Delaware and Virginia, it is more than probable, that 

 our first cattle were of Dutch and English origin, though the 

 large number of yellow and brindle cattle in their progeny indi- 

 cates that they after a time became mixed with the Danish im- 

 portations to New Hampshire. During the latter part of the 



