^2 



®l)c JJanncr's iHoutl)In bisitor. 



FROai THE EDITOR'S POCKET J>I£]HO- 

 KANDUM. 



Coniiecticnt River. A rarra among the Ox- 

 Bows. 



The great ox "Olympus" raised several years 

 •ince by Isaac llubburd, Esq., of Clareriiont, N. 

 H.,a townsliip on tlie westerly line of the Gran- 

 ite State bordering on Connecticut river, was 

 carried alive to England, and was said to exceed 

 ID weight any animal of tlie cattle kind ever pro- 

 duced in the' British islands. Col. John M. Glid- 

 den of North Charlestown, immediately adjunct 

 to Clareniont, has now produced an o.\ said to be 

 etill larger than Olympus, which at six years of 

 age weighs 3375 pounds. This ox has been 

 slaughtered the present winter, and is considered 

 to be none too good meat for our own use. 



O|)posite Clareinont on the westerly side of 

 Connecticut River is one of those beautiful bends 

 of alluvion which drawing a direct line up and 

 down the stream would throw the greater 

 part of it into New Hampshire, is the farm of 

 Hon. William Jarvis in Wcalhersfield, Vt., second 

 in size in New England only to the farm on Lake 

 Chami)lain in Shelburne, Vt., owned by Hon. 

 Ezra Meecli. This gentleman, formerly the 

 American Consul at Lisbon, ranks with the late 

 Chancellor Livingston and Col. David Humph- 

 reys as among the first ini|)orlers into this coun- 

 try of the Merino and other fine wooled sheep. 

 He has also contributed much towards the breeds 

 of im])roved cattle in those sections of New- 

 Hampshire and Varmont. 



In no part of the United Slate.», we believe, is 

 there a better or more desirable soil than that of 

 the valley of the Connecticut from the high 

 grounds either east or west all the way tiirough 

 the States of Connecticut and Massachusetts and 

 through the entire length of New Humpsliire 

 and Vermont whicli are divided by tlie waters of 

 this river. The farm protlnctions in times past 

 all the way up this valley, at a distance from the 

 seaboard have been the soiu'ce of wealth to a 

 population perhaps more intelligent and indepen- 

 dent than in any other section of the United 

 States. The whole valley may be said to be 

 good land : some of the ujiland of primitive ori- 

 gin is rough compared to the prairie lands of the 

 great West; but the alluvial lands upon the river 

 and its branches in that valley are probably ex- 

 ceeded in no part of the country. That portion 

 of alluvion annually overflowed where tljc wa- 

 ters back up gradually is most of all fei-tile. Such 

 are the lands in Deerlield, Ms., near the mouth 

 of the river of that name running down from the 

 Green Mountains on the westerly side. These 

 lands, we are informed, produce two and three 

 several burdens of English hay in one season. 

 We cannot well describe them, inasmuch as it 

 is nearly twenty years since we passid ttjeni. 



More than one lnindre<l miles alvye the Deer- 

 field meadow in the same valley and «n the mar- 

 gin of the same Connecticut river, between the 

 towns of Haverhill, N. H. and Newhiiry, Vt. are 

 the fH;;-,;;,,,s Ox-bow meadows r«noiViied for their 

 beauty and their fertility. 



Haverhill Corner, at an elevaticni of some hun- 

 dred feet above the river, the seat of half the 

 courts for Giafton county on the New Hampshire 

 side, is among the cleanly and neat white paint- 

 ed villages that occur on the New Hampshire 

 side of the river at the distance of every six or 

 eight miles. On the opposite side of the river 

 in Vermont is the town of Newbury, and about 

 three miles above a still moiu beautiful village 

 than Haverhill has grown up within the last few 

 years. This is the seat of a flourishing Acade- 

 my under the patronage of the Methodist Epis- 

 copal denomination — an institiuion which annu- 

 ally sends forth joulh of both sexes well fitted 

 either to engage in the common pursuits of lifii 

 or to pursufe a more thorough education in the 

 higher attainments of literature and science at 

 higher classical institutions. 



At no very great distance from this village and 

 seminary we visited about a year since one 

 of the most <lesiralilc positions lor an indepen- 

 dent farmer we had ever seen. This farm then 

 belonged to Timothy Morse, Esr]., v. ho had no 

 very long lime previous purchased it of one of 

 the Little family, natives of Newbury, Ms. and 

 fii-st ownei-s of much of the ox-bow intervales 

 in Newbury, Vt. 



Mr. Morsels (arm consisted of 200 acres of the 

 tfekniifn) river nlUivion, and 400 acres of upland. 



The alluvion was so bounded on the river that 

 one hundred and seventeen rods of fence enclos- 

 ed the whole. Seventy-five acrps, at a lower lev- 

 el than the other part of the iilluvion, are annu- 

 ally overflown. This land products a kind of 

 natural grass peculiar to similar land on this riv- 

 er, equally palatable and nutritive lor horses, cut- 

 tle or sheep as the best hay ; and the anrual pro- 

 duct of the seventy-five acre.-;, without cultiva- 

 tion or manure, was one lumdred and fifty tons, 

 or two tons of hay to the acre. So gentlo"is 

 the overflow of water over this ground that the 

 rich sediment brought on leaves a surface if pos- 

 sible more smooth than that of the best pulver- 

 ized ])louglied lands laid down with ihe harrow 

 and the roller. It is the character of the Con- 

 necticut as of some other rivers in New Eng- 

 land, that at the points of the richest alluvion 

 meadows the flowing of each freshet makes in- 

 roads upon cue side or the other. The river 

 running through the meadows naturally jiie- 

 serves a uniform width, so that what is gained on 

 one side is lost on the other. At the point of 

 Mr. Morse's farm New Ilnmpshiie was losing 

 and Vermont was gaining: the ox-bow here had 

 increased several acres v/ithin a few years. The 

 increase of material left was a black rich soil, 

 such as if mixed with a lighter sandy foundation 

 would he equally valuable with an equal volume 

 of manure. As soon as the water recedes,swamp 

 maple and other trees spring up on the new 

 made ground ; and these, as fast as they are 

 cleared off, give place to the natural grass so 

 good for the feed of cattle. 



The higher intervale of Mr. Morse's farm is 

 some of the best land we have any where seen 

 for the production of Indian corn. In no part of 

 New England is this crop more certain than it is 

 here, nearly at the point of forty-four degrees of 

 north lalitude, two degrees north of Boston. The 

 price of hay and grain is generally as much less 

 at Newbury as the cost of transport to Concord ; 

 but if hay there be worth only half as much — 

 say six dollars the ton — still the natural mowing 

 of the low intervale will give an annual income 

 equal to six per cent, upon the price of two hun- 

 dred dollars to the acre — the second crop being 

 ecjual to the expense of getting the first and the 

 payment of taxes. 



Mr. Morse had recently erected an immense 

 barn 250 by 40 feet upon the ground, which was 

 scarcely sufficient to contain the crop of hay and 

 grain: he had also built a house of ample di- 

 mensions convenient for the residence of the 

 gentleman farmer, and standing in full view of 

 the extended intervale composing this farm, and 

 of the two villages on either side of the river be- 

 low. 



Of the 400 acres of back land, 100 are clear- 

 ed, and 300 are covered with thick timber and 

 wood: this is only half a mile distant from the 

 buildings. 



The stock kept upon this fiuin are 70 head of 

 horned cattle, seven to ten draft horses for fiirm 

 work, and GOO Merino sheep. From three to 

 four tons of pork are annually raised. Corn and 

 oats and perhaps spring wheat are raised to be 

 sold ofi" the farm ; the hay is best disposed of in 

 the growth of the cattle. On such a farm the 

 dairy, producing a large quantity of butter and 

 cheese, may be calculated on as a sui'e source of 

 profit. 



Au old farming town of New Hampshire. 



The town of Hampton, N. H., on the seaboard, 

 was first settled in 1G3;?, more than two hundred 

 years aga. It originaliv embraced what now con- 

 stitutes the towns of Hampton, North Hampton, 

 Hampton Falls and South Hampton — eacli of 

 theai of much smaller dimensions than the com- 

 mon six miles square townships, and all of tliem 

 embracing an area of less tiian fitly square miles. 

 The ancestors of DanieJ Wetisierand Lewis Cas.j, 

 two distinguished men before the American peo- 

 ple, both natives of New Hampshire, were of ih^ 

 first settlers of Hampton ; the Wehsiej' finally 

 went first to Kingston— the Cass family 'to Exe- 

 ter. Both Mr. fJass and Mr. Welister rectived 

 the rudiments of their eilueation at F.xeler Phil- 

 lips Academy— the venerabie Benjiimin Abbr4 

 was the tutor of both viM>re than forty years ago. 

 The Wingate family, kaawii especi^liy as publio 

 men both in New HaiBiwhir© and iVlaii>e, first 

 came to Hampton. Tb« iate Paine Wingate, for 

 several vears the eWvst man hvi.ng on the Har- 



vard College catalogue, n member of Congress 

 and a judge of the superior court, who died lately 

 at Stratham at the age of 103 years, was born at 

 Hampton. The Wingate House, built 143 years 

 ago, — a venerable mansion with rich interior fin- 

 ish, — remains among the most ancient houses of 

 New Hampshire : E. W. Toppan, Esq., a de- 

 scendent of the Wingates, is at this lime the 

 owner. 



All the four Hamptons are rich in the produc- 

 tions of agticulture — most of the fiirmers are in- 

 dustrious and persevering, and as a natural con- 

 sequence thriving and independent. In Hamjiton 

 proper there is njore wood now growing than 

 there was forty years ago. In the lighter soil, the 

 white |)ine is found to be of rapid growth : the 

 bodies of these trees fioni thirty to forty years of 

 age are an elegant material manufactured into 

 boards for the inside finishing of houses; and 

 the limbs of the trees seasoned under cover make 

 good fire-wood. By economizing their small 

 wood lots, the fiirmers are able to keep good 

 their amount of timber and fuel, and at the same 

 lime furnish a supply for present uses. 



The farms in Hanqiton are all small; yet on 

 these the owners contrive to fill large barns. — 

 The town has 1800 acres of salt marsii, lying 

 contiguous to, and upon a level with the ocean. 

 This marsh produces on an average about three 

 fourths of a ton of salt hay to the acre: requir- 

 ing no manure for itself, it is the source of ma- 

 nure tor the upland. Muscle shells found in the 

 flats when the tide recedes, are found to be a 

 grand material for the manure bed : even the 

 common marsh nuid is much used lor the same 

 purpose ; and the kelp and sea-weed thrown up- 

 on the extended beach by every storm with an 

 out-wind, as well as the richer marine vegetable 

 growing U|)on the rocks, are sought for by the 

 farmers with avidity. 



The means of early education, so general and 

 prevalent throughout New England, are enjoyed 

 to their fidl extent in this ancient town : the sons 

 and daughters of farmers are instructed as 

 well how to labor eftectnally for a livelihood .as 

 in the use of letters; they imbibe not only a 

 taste for reading hut gain a knowledge of pen- 

 manship and arithmetic sufficient for the iiursuit 

 of any useful trade or calling. Young men 

 leave the town as mechanics or merchants, and 

 return with money, chousing the rural occupa- 

 tion to which they were early inured in the place 

 where they were born, rather than spend their 

 lives elsewhere. 



While at Hampton Mr. Toppaii showed us 

 among other ancient reliques of the family man- 

 sion which he occupies, a Map of Maine of the 

 date of 1754. His great-grandfather at that time 

 owned large tracts of land on the Kerniebeck 

 and Androscoggin rivers, marked on the map as 

 Cobbiscoo.i, Sagadahock or Ainoreiscog'^in. Fort 

 Halifax on th'ia map is set down as opposite to^ 

 that point of laud opposite tlie present site of 

 Waterville. By this map New Hampshire in- 

 cluded the whole of the jn-esent limits of Ver- 

 mont, and extended north to the river St. Law- 

 rence. H'lnnepesoltet lake and Marimac river 

 mark the orthography of the map maker of that 

 period. 



The "Pattern Farming Town" again. 



The pattern farming town of Rye lies between 

 Old Hampton and Portsmouth u|)on the sea: it 

 is six miles in length by about two miles in 

 breadth, and has less salt marsh, but probably 

 more hard sea beach than Hampton. The fami- 

 lies of Jenness and Locke are most numerous in 

 Rve : there are ten families ami farms of the lat- 

 ter, embracing the whole of one neighborhood. 

 Som.e of the land for farming purposes in this 

 town is worth 150 <lollars the acre; and 100 

 acres in a body at some distance from the centre 

 of the town vvould at any time sell for $10,000. 



There is one farm in Rye in the north part of the 

 Sown bordering on Port.-:month, belonging to the 

 Sheafe family, that consists of al>out 300 acres. 

 The farm ofthe richest resident will not e.xceert 

 100 acres. Tlii> great value has l>e*» added to 

 the land in ibis town by the constant improve- 

 ment of its cultivation. 



On tlie 17tb of February, one ye.ir ago, when 

 she editor of the Visitos- was last at Rjw, tlie ex- 

 traord'uiary speetac-le was exhibited in this »owr» 

 of a ijepth of three or four feet of snow — a case 

 sehloni witnessed o( deep snosvs vei\x ih,e sea. 



