NEW HAMPSHIRE. 



573 



important sections, which had before been 

 deprived of the advantages resulting from 

 them. The aggregate length of railroads 

 within New Hampshire, at the beginning of 

 1872, was 799.32, built at a cost of $25,750,- 

 817. 



Among the great interests of the State the 

 agricultural seems to have made remarkable 

 progress since 1860, as appears from the fol- 

 lowing comparative statistics: "In 1860, the 

 census gave the valuation of farms in New 

 Hampshire at $69,689,761 ; farming-imple- 

 ments, $2,682,412; and live farm-stock, $9,- 

 832,164 : making the total amount of capital in- 

 vested in farming, $82,204,337, The produc- 

 tions from these farms for the year 1860 amount- 

 ed to over $19,000,000, and the expense of labor 

 and taxes about $15,000,000, being a net income 

 of over $4,000,000, or over 5 per cent, on the 

 entire capital invested in farming. This does 

 not include productions of gardens or poultry, 

 which would amount to several hundred thou- 

 sand dollars, or nearly one per cent. By the 

 ninth census, taken in 1870, the farms had in- 

 creased in value to over $80,500,000 ; farming- 

 implements to $3,459,000 ; and live-stock to 

 over $13,721,000; making the whole capital 

 invested in farming over $97,771,000, a gain in 

 ten years of over $15,500,000, or 19 per 

 cent., or nearly two per cent, per annum. The 

 productions amounted, for the year 1870, to 

 over $22,475,000, and labor and taxes to about 

 $17,000,000, leaving a net income of over 

 $5,000,000. or 5i per cent, on the capital in- 

 vested in farming. Add the increase of two 

 per cent, per annum, in the value of farms for 

 the past ten years, and it makes the income of 

 7i per cent, per annum on the capital invested 

 in agriculture." 



The establishment of a State Board of Agri- 

 culture, created by an act of the session of 

 1870, has met the unanimous approbation of 

 the farmers, and very beneficial results are an- 

 ticipated from its operations. This body con- 

 sists of ten members, one from each county 

 in the State. They hold their meetings at 

 different places in turn, thus coining into close 

 contact with the farmers residing in various 

 sections, and disseminating among them the 

 information of the best methods of agriculture, 

 and of measures necessary to render it profit- 

 able. The members of the Board receive no 

 compensation for their services, but only the 

 reimbursement of their expenses, which seem 

 to be inconsiderable, as, in the case of one 

 among them, they amounted to $21 for eigh- 

 teen months. Its Secretary receives $400 a 

 year, which sum the Governor and Council 

 might, in their discretion, increase to $1,200. 



The work of the Geological Survey of New 

 Hampshire, which was authorized by legisla- 

 tive enactment in 1868, for the purpose of as- 

 certaining and defining the resources of the 

 State, has been steadily pursued, and its re- 

 sults last year seem to be of unusual impor- 

 tance toward determining geological facts. 



With a view to ascertain her natural re- 

 sources by water also, a joint resolution has 

 now been adopted by the Legislature, authoriz- 

 ing "the appointment of three commissioners 

 to make a hydrographical survey of the State." 



Among the acts passed by the Legislature 

 was one in behalf of women, allowing them 

 to hold school-offices ; and a more important 

 one which provides "that a widow whose 

 husband dies intestate, leaving or not leaving 

 lineal descendants, by waiving her right of 

 dower and homestead, or releasing her dis- 

 tributive share, shall be entitled to receive 

 instead thereof one-third of all the estate re- 

 maining after the payment of the debts and 

 the expenses of the administration, if no pro- 

 vision is made for her by the will of the de- 

 ceased, or if she shall waive such provision. 

 If settlement has been made upon the wife 

 before marriage, this act shall not be in force." 



The Democrats and Liberal Eepublicans of 

 New Hampshire, in pursuance of arrangements 

 previously made, assembled separately at Con- 

 cord on the llth of September, 1872. The 

 following resolution was proposed to the Dem- 

 ocratic Convention, and unanimously adopted : 



Resolved, That this convention approves the plat- 

 form of principles ^ adopted by the Cincinnati and 

 Baltimore Conventions, and pledges its hearty sup- 

 port to the nominees of said Convention Horace 

 Greeley and B. Gratz Brown for President and 

 Vice-President. 



The Liberal Republicans, on their part, 

 adopted the following platform : 



We, Liberal Eepublicans of New Hampshire, in 

 mass convention assembled, satisfied that the .Re- 

 publican party, as now organized and controlled in 

 our State, is not the party of thepeople, but instead 

 an instrument in the hands of office-holders and po- 

 litical adventurers, whose selfish ends are accom- 

 plished by base means, and the best interests of the 

 country are sacrificed to the personal profit and greed 

 of the worst men ; and Laving full confidence that 

 the time has arrived when true patriotism demands 

 an efi'ort for permanent and honorable reconciliation 

 between patriotic men of all sections and of all par- 

 ties, to the end that we may restore the Government 

 to its proper and legitimate purposes, we declare the 

 following platform of principles : 



1. We accept the platform adopted at Cincinnati 

 as embodying the true political theories applicable 

 to the present condition of the country ; and, believ- 

 ing that their honest administration can only be had 

 at the hands of honest men, we heartily indorse the 

 nomination of Horace Greeley and B. Gratz Brown 

 for President and Vice-President ; and we hereby 

 pledge them the hearty support of the Liberal Ee- 

 publicans of New Hampshire. _ 



2. We recognize in the position of the Liberal De- 

 mocracy a consistent and honorable endeavor to 

 cement fraternal relations among all citizens who 

 desire reform in civil service, economy in public 

 affairs, a recognition of the just rights of the people, 

 and a return to sound principles of government, and 

 we pledge them our full cooperation on these bases 

 to secure these vital and essential results. 



3. Public officials should be the servants of the 

 people, not the tools of party; and we denounce all 

 interference of office-holders, State and Federal, in 

 our elections, the use of money, and all unjustifiable 

 agencies to control votes, and the whole system un- 

 der which fealty to party is made the test of political 

 orthodoxy. 



