NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



3.-,] 



NEW HAMPSHIRE STATE FAIR. 



The first annual cattle-show and fair of the New 

 Hampshire State Agricultural Society took place at 

 Concord, on the 2d and 3d of October. It indicated 

 a good start with this infant association, which prom- 

 ises prosperity and success in the worthy cause. We 

 take the following extracts from the report of this 

 ehow, ill the Granite Farmer, a new and valuable 

 paper, published in Manchester. 



The first annual exhibition of the State Society is 

 over, and the question whether New Hampshire 

 eould have a good fair, has become a li.xed fact. 

 The occasion, to Avliich the friends of the society 

 have looked forward with anxiety, as settling the 

 point of the sympathy of the peopk with the move- 

 ment, and determining also the measure of the soci- 

 ety's inriucnce on New Hampshire agriculture, has 

 Come and gone, and proved a glorious triumph to tlie 

 friends of the society. The show, in all its depart- 

 ments, exceeded the hopes of the mo.st sanguine. In 

 the stock department, how little was known of what 

 to expect from the different parts of the state ! and 

 yet, for our small state, wliat a show of first-rate 

 blooded stock ! 



The movement was an experiment ; but how tri- 

 umphant has the experiment been ! With what 

 courage will we go on for another year, confident 

 that the interest of the show will be doubled ! Too 

 much honor cannot be given to the enterprising and | 

 laborious oflieers of the society, for having, in the 

 main, aecomjjlished this triumph to New Hampshire 

 agriculture and art. 



But we must pass hastily in review the contents 

 of the various halls. The central ornament of tlie 

 Depot Hall was the disjilay of fruits. The show of 

 our own state fruits, although limited in variety, was 

 most excellent in quality. The ajjples were large 

 and nice. The pears were of a few varieties, but of 

 good quality. There were several varieties of grapes 

 in very handsome clusters. There were but few 

 peaches or jdums. 



The show of articles of domestic manufacture and 

 needle-work was very large, and attracted much at- 

 tention. Our space will not admit of a particular 

 mention of the different articles. When all were 

 excellent, it would be invidious to select. There 

 Avcre elegantly-wrought spreads of ])ure white, that 

 ■were beautifully done, and from the lady visitors won 

 unqualilied admiration. There were beautiful floral 

 ornaments from Hanover, Orford, and Concord, sev- 

 eral specimens of prepared grasses, that showed 

 much taste. 



Tliere was a good show of vegetable productions 

 and field crops. K. Mitchell, Manchester, exliibitcd 

 a basket of very fine and large sweet potatoes raised 

 by him. 



There were many specimens of corn which looked 

 well ; as large and as perfect as any that can be pro- 

 duced. A. P. Cate, Northfield, exhibited a small, 

 early variety, which ripened the last of August, and 

 an eight-rowed corn, very long ears, large kernel, and 

 small ci>l), fully ripened at the top and ends. 



The Duttou corn, a large twelve and fourteen 

 rowed variety, has ripened extremely well. The 

 specimens exhibited by Josej)h Robinson, CJoncord, 

 were from a crop jilanted May 28, on pine plain 

 lands, and plucked Sept. 30. They arc all twin ears, 

 and arc, he says, but a fair specimen of his crop. 

 The imiiroved Dutton, by (ieorge W. Ncsmith, are 

 splendid large ears. 



John R. French, Plymouth, exhibited a new vari- 

 ety of oats, which are hardy, early, prolific, heavy, 

 and not liable to blast as other varieties arc. They 



weigh forty-eight pounds to the bushel. He says, 

 " One single stalk of oats was found near a j)ond iii 

 Corinth, Vt., where wild geese congregate in vast 

 numbers for a sununer resort. It was cultivated, 

 until he now has several hundred buslicls." If not 

 new, it is most certainly a valuable variety. 



Tliere was not a great variety, nor a great ciuaiitity 

 of potatoes exhibited. A large, fair, kidney-sliapcd 

 variety of potatoes, called here the New Yurhers, hy 

 J. S. Noyes, Concord, are the best samples we have 

 seen this year. It appears to have escaped the rot 

 better than any other varieties on Mr. Noyes's farm : 

 but he has named the potatoes wrong. It was known 

 in Boston a few years since as the St. Ilckna variety, 

 and, under that name, was for a very long time po;)- 

 ular as the best boiling potatoes then cultivated ; it 

 has however, yielded to the destroyer, and is uo\r 

 hardly known in Massachusetts. 



Benjamin Whipple, Dunbarton, exhibited the 

 Jackson Reds, a large size potato, which has also 

 withstood the rot, while other varieties on tlie same 

 farm, and in the same town, have been almost en- 

 tirely destroyed. The Jackson Reds are represented 

 to be good yielders, and, in the present condition of 

 things, as safe a variety as can be planted. 



In addition to those mentioned before, is a barrel 

 of New York Whites, (we still believe them to be 

 the old St. Helena's,) from D. Woodman, ileredith. 

 They are the finest kidney-shaped we have seen any 

 where in the potato seasons. We arc informed that 

 they have withstood the rot well, only a few being 

 affected by it. Seth Eastman, Concord, showed 

 samples of three varieties, the White Cristia. Red 

 Cristia, and the Western, and all three have been 

 prolific and unharmed. A barrel of Western Reds, 

 grown by Isaac Hill, Concord, uiion pine plain la r.l, 

 were beautiful to look at, aud we are told they are 

 superior for the table. 



There were eighteen entries of butter, which 

 looked universally fine and good. They were sam- 

 ples of both June and September churnings ; some 

 of it was neatly put up in half pound lum])s. Tliere 

 was quite a number of entries for new and old 

 cheese. 



In addition to the above were mammoth pump- 

 kins, squashes, beets, Ike. Then there were several 

 specimens of honey. 



An interesting feature in the exhibition was James 

 A. Cutting's patent changeable beehive, with bees 

 and honey in them ; they were to be seen working. 

 James Priest exhibited the same hive unoccupied; 

 and Hiram M. Clark, Alton, another pattern, with 

 honey and bees in them. There was also on exhibi- 

 tion Stoddard's self- protecting hive, which, lue in- 

 ventor says, bids defiance tu the miller. 



Of agricultural implements and machinery, the 

 exhibition was quite full and interesting. TUoro 

 were three patterns of ploughs, from the manulao- 

 tories of Currier, lioe, MJ Co., (,,'oncord, J. L. Robin- 

 son & Co., Concord, and the Ames Swanl plough. 



Currier, Hoe, c*i; Co. exhibited the Yankee eorn- 

 shellcr, straw-outters of tlie Ruggles, Nourse, i^ Ma- 

 son pattern, ox yokes and bows, and a variety of 

 farming and gardening implements. 



The yokes of ex-(iovernor Steele attracted much 

 attention and commendation. Other yokes, ol a 

 good form and finish, were exhibited by 1'. M Ros- 

 sitcr, MiU'ord, and by A. I«. Simpson, Durham. Tlie 

 latter gentleman has introduced an improvement, 

 for which be has applied for letters patent, by dis- 

 pensing with the ring, and using instead a s,h«>rt 

 chain, which is hooked to the draught chain. This 

 improvement rcqvuvcs two rivets in the yoke, but it 

 is so arranged that the strong ox bears his due pro- 

 jiortion of the labojr, and the weaker one is so much 

 favored. This result, he says, cannot be attained, 

 under the old arrungeiacut. 



