4 University of New Hampshire [Sta. Bull. 322 \ 



The growing season is very short and corn silage is grown only on | 



a few farms. While the average time between frosts ranges from i 



90 to 110 days, in certain locations it is limited to about 90 days and i 

 there are occasional frosts in June and July. 



The Present Agriculture I 



This area is one of the most concentrated dairy areas in Xew 

 Hampshire. (Fig. 2). Every farm has a dairy herd, and the herds 

 tend to be larger than in most sections of the state. The 223 com- 

 mercial farms noted in the type-of-farming survey in 1935 had 3236 

 cows or an average of 14 on a farm. Seventy herds contained less ' 

 than nine cows. 90 had 10 to 16 cows, and 69 had over 16 cows, i 

 (Fig. 3). I 



Two out of three dairymen raised potatoes for market, but only 

 20 of the 155 farmers producing potatoes commercially had over five 

 acres. Only two operators had over 10 acres, and the average was "' 

 about two acres. 



Milk is marketed at whtdesale to Boston dealers and potatoes are 

 marketed mostly to local buyers who in turn ship or truck to cities ' 

 farther south. Because of the location and the shortness of the 

 growing season the area is limited in its range of crops and must 

 gear its production largely on a wholesale basis. : 



History of the Area* 



The first settlers entered Colebrook about 1790 and found them- 

 selves more or less isolated from markets. The mountain ridges on 

 the east were a barrier to the coast and the trip down the Connecti- 

 cut River valley was long and tedious. About 1810 a wagon road was 

 built through Dixville Notch on the east. The Atlantic and St. Law- I 

 rence railroad touched North Stratford, 13 miles south of Colebrook. i 

 in 1847. but it was not until 1S<S7 that the upper Coos railroad was i 

 built, making Colebrook directly accessible by railroad. j 



The pioneers were quick to take advantage of the favorable po- I 

 tato soil and climate, and heavy yields i)f potatoes were experienced ' 

 in the early settlements. i 



One of the first products to be marketed under these conditio m-. 

 was potato whiskey. There were at least three stills in Colebrook ,! 

 soon after 1800. Farmers were able to barter potatoes for whiskey 

 and some of this was in turn bartered for needed supplies and goods. 



About 1846 began the development of potato starch factories and 

 pfttato ])roduction on a commercial basis expanded raj^idly. About j 

 1870, there were five starch factories operating in Colebrook. four in 

 Stewartstown, and four in Columbia, though some of the earlier fac- 

 tories had been discontinued. The out]iut of starch from the area I 

 was reported as 1500 tons per year during the period of most inten- 

 sive starch production. This jjroduction would require roughlv 

 340.(XX) buslu-Is of potatoes. We have no authentic record of ave- 

 rage yields under ])ractices followed at that time, but it is estimated 



•Coolidge, A. J. and Mansfield, J. B. History and Description of New Engand. New Hamp- 

 shire. Boston. 1860. 

 Dudley, J. A. Early History of Colebrook, Coos County History, 1888. 



