1859. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



131 



CKB3HIBE AGRICULTUEAL SOCIETY. 



On Friday, the 21st inst., we had the pleasure 

 of attending another meeting of the Cheshire 

 County, N. H., Agricultural Society, in pursuance 

 of their plan to ''have gatherings and discussions 

 in various portions of the county, instead of ex- 

 pending all their funds in paying premiums." 

 We look upon this as an important movement — 

 a movement better calculated to promote the in- 

 terests of the cause than any other within our 

 knowledge. It is an example for Massachusetts, 

 which we hope all her agricultural associations 

 will not be slow to adopt 



The meeting was held in one of the churches 

 of the beautiful town of Marlborough, N. H., 

 about five miles from Keene. The exercises 

 commenced at 10 o'clock, A. M., and with ad- 

 journments for dinner and tea, were continued 

 until after 9 in the evening, and notwithstanding 

 the rain and extremely bad travelling, there were 

 good audiences during the whole time of highly 

 interested men and women. 



The subjects under discussion were, "The 

 Grasses, Grains and Stock" — but most of the af- 

 ternoon was devoted to the subject of the Grass- 

 es. The President of the Society, Gen. Nelson 

 Converse, occupied the chair, and with happy 

 facility called up those to whom no special duty 

 had been assigned. All the other officers of the 

 Society were present, and the time between the 

 regular addresses was occupied in inquiries, and 

 in the expression of numerous valuable facts and 

 suggestions by practical men. In these discus- 

 sions Messrs. Leverett, May and Elliot, of 

 Keene, Dr. Richardson, Messrs. Harvey, Hol- 

 MAN and Wiswell, of Marlborough, Col. Reed, 

 of Swanzey, and others whose names we did not 

 learn, took an active part, — the President occa- 

 sionally eliciting experiences too good to be lost, 

 by his happy manner of getting intelligent, but 

 too modest farmers, upon their feet. 



There is no doubt on our mind but this is the 

 true mode of expending a considerable portion 

 of their funds, as a hundred dollars will go far 

 towards holding a meeting in every portion of 

 the county. Like the morning paper, it brings 

 the intelligence desired to the vo^y homes of the 

 people, and lays it before them in an informal 

 and agreeable manner. But more than all else, 

 it leads them to express their own views, public- 

 ly, upon matters of vital importance to their in- 

 terests, and introduces a spirit for discussion and 

 investigation which will not fail to work out the 

 happiest results. 



We look with impatience for the projection 

 of similar plans in our own Commonwealth. 



The village of Marlborough is a beautiful one, 

 romantically nestling among the hills, with the 

 Grand Monadnock ever keeping "watch and 



ward" over it, and breaking the progress of the 

 fierce northeasters that would otherwise pour 

 themselves into its bosom. A busy little stream, 

 called "The Branch," a tributary of the Ashuelot, 

 babbles through the valley, urging the machinery 

 by which is wrought out all manner of children's 

 toys, and wooden ware. The village is remarka- 

 able for the uniformly neat appearance of its 

 buildings, for the air of thrift and comfort which 

 pervades them all, and for the number of young 

 shade trees which line the roadside, and give 

 taste and refinement to the dwellings. It has, 

 also, one of the best hotels in New England, kept 

 by Asa MAYNARD,Esq., where the traveller will 

 not only find tha utmost neatness and order in 

 every department, but his wants anticipated by 

 the kind attentions common at his own fireside. 

 Sancho Panza would have said, perhaps, "Bless- 

 ings on the man who invented taverns !" We 

 have great affection for a good old-fashioned 

 country hostlerie, away from railroads and the 

 gongs and other pestering particulars of cities, 

 where we can eat and chat and pass the other- 

 wise lonely hours with the family, and be cared 

 for and feel that we are at home ! Come you 

 here, who travel and climb mountains, and desire 

 to get above the clouds. This is your starting 

 point fv)r the Grand Monadnock, and the home 

 of good cheer while you ramble. 



At 9 A. M., we left this pleasant spot for the 

 station, three miles distant. There had been a 

 slight fall of snow the previous night, and now the 

 graceful branches of the hemlocks, loaded with 

 pure white snow, contrasting beautifully with the 

 lively green upon which it rested, bowed them- 

 selves on either side, reminding us of the Eastern 

 custom of partial prostration, when those whom 

 it is wished to honor pass out or in. Graceful 

 silver birches, rock maples of exquisite symme- 

 try, and noble beeches, skirted the way, while 

 the mountain streams, swollen by the January 

 thaw, were dancing cheerfully on their way to 

 "The Branch," to turn out still more pails and 

 tubs and children's toys ! What a pity, that 

 some accomplished artist had not occupied our 

 place, who could have perpetuated this delight- 

 ful mountain forest view, to please and instruct 

 the thousands who never will be blessed by a 

 personal contemplation of a Winter scene among 

 these Crystal Hills. 



Hillsborough Society. — The Hillsborough 

 County Agricultural and Mechanical Society has 

 elected the following named persons as its offi- 

 cers for the ensuing year : 



President— P. M. Rossiter, Milford. 

 Kec. *ec.— Oilman Wheeler, iKlford. 



Cor. Sec H A. Daniels, Milloril. 



Treasurer— Da-vit) Stuart, Amherst. 



Fice Pre.-idenU — John Dodce, Bennington ; Isaac Kimball, 

 Temple; Thos. G. Holbrook, Bedford; David Clement, Hadson 



