470 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Oct. 



in (^ality and amount. We remember that a 

 young and enterprising son of New Hampshire, 

 then residing in Boston, some twenty-five years 

 ago, printed at his own expense, and circulated 

 through the State, a sheet of plain and simple di- 

 rections for making and preserving butter. Upon 

 that sheet it was stated that more than fifty thou- 

 and dollar^were annually lost to the State, for the 

 want of proper attention to this most important 

 farm product. At that time, the butter of New 

 Hampshire was considered quite inferior to that of 

 Vermont. Agricultural papers from .other States 

 have found their way into the State. Some ar- 

 dent friends of the cause have been assiduously 

 engaged in its promotion for many years. Some 

 four years ago, public opinion appeared to take a 

 long stride in advance of its former position. The 

 value and importance of associated effort, as ap- 

 plied to this subject, seemed at once to become 

 apparent to the farmers of the State. In 1823, 

 Gov. Woodbury, with a spirit worthy of the good 

 name he left behind him, recommended to the 

 Legislature to jnake an appropriation for a geo- 

 logical survey of the State. Some curious remarks 

 were made in the House, when this portion of the 

 message came under discussion. One man thought, 

 agricultural shows exhibited many things loo small 

 for gentlemen. In his part of the country, farmers 

 already knew more than they could practice. Anoth- 

 er said, that for the Legislature to vote away the 

 public money, to encourage men to take their oxen 

 twenty to thirty miles, fasten them to heavy loads, 

 and beat them unmercifully, for the sake of a few 

 dollars and the amusement of the lookers on, is 

 what our constituents, who earn their money, will 

 not justify or sanction. Voting money for such a 

 purpose, is encouraging cruelty, immorality and 

 dissipation. But those days went by, and the 

 Legislature appropriated money for a survey of 

 the State. This was completed by that distin- 

 guished geologist. Dr. Jackson, and his report, 

 which has been freely circulated through the State, 

 has been one important means of awaking an in- 

 terest in the science of agriculture. The Legisla- 

 ture should be cheerfully credited with all it has 

 done. It has from time to time, afforded aid to 

 the County Societies, and the last year it consent- 

 ed to publisli the transactions of the State Society, 

 as a State document, and in consequence of this 

 consent, this voli^ue has seen the light. This we 

 believe, is all the aid which it has afforded to 

 this Society. We trust it will not be long before 

 their legislators will imbibe more largely the spirit 

 of the age, and no longer dole out their aid with a 

 niggard hand to this, the most important institu 

 tion within their borders. In Doc., 1849, the 

 State Society was organized, and the lion. G. W. 

 Nesmith was placed in the President's chair. In 

 the month of June following, a series of agricul- 

 tural meetings was held in the State House at 



Concord,a.ni an act of incorporation granted to the 

 State Society, but no appropriation was made to 

 give vitality to its movements. But noways dis- 

 couraged, they undertook to get up a State Fair at 

 Concord, the following October, and considering it 

 was the first attempt, their success was admirable. 

 The range of premiums was unusually wide, and 

 by no means confined to the products of the farm. 

 A variety of mechanic arts, the products of the 

 loom and the needle, came in for their full share 

 of encouragement. This was no doubt judicious, for 

 by this means all classes were interested in promo- 

 ting the success of the exhibition. 



In the June following, a convention was held at 

 Concord, of delegates from the State Society, and 

 the several County Societies, to consult on the con- 

 dition and necessities of agriculture in the State, 

 and to propose some plan for its relief. This meet- 

 ing was followed by a meeting of the members of 

 the State Society at Concord, on the same month. 

 The Legislature was again memorialized for aid, 

 but with the same result as before. The annual 

 fair was held at Manchester, in October, and the 

 exhibition of stock, and the display of the products 

 of mechanical skill were very fine. But the strik- 

 ing features of the occasion, were the presence 

 of Daniel Webster, and the address of M. P. 

 Wilder, two of New Hampshire's noblest sons. 

 Mr. Webster was greeted with an enthusiasm 

 alike honorable to him, and to,the thousands of his 

 native State,- who were gathered abound him, a 

 large majority of whom will remember that as the 

 last time on which he stood before them. Taken 

 in all its parts, the exhibition during those fine Oc- 

 tober days was one of the most glorious events 

 that ever occurred in New Hampshire. In 1852, 

 the agricultural discussions were continued during 

 the session of the Legislature ; at this session the 

 Legislature passed the resolution authorizing the 

 publication of the transactions of the Society, to 

 which we have already referred. The annual ex- 

 hibition was held at Meredith Bridge, and in re- 

 spect to fruit especially, appears to hav3 excelled 

 that of the two former years. In some respects 

 we should infer from the report that the ex- 

 hibition scarcely came up to the standard of the 

 previous year. The premiums were very numerous, 

 and embraced a wide range of objects. They were 

 bestowed with a liberal hand. The report fur this 

 year is well written, and together with the essay 

 of Dr. McFarland, upon Draining and Subsoil 

 Plowing, of 11. F. French, Esq., upon Fruit Grow- 

 ing in N. II., and of Prof. Ho YT, upon Orchard Cul- 

 ture, in connection with the laws of vegetable 

 growth, constitute about half the volume. The 

 essays above referred to are all highly creditable 

 to their authors, and deserve a place upon the ta- 

 ble of every farmer in New England. They are 

 worth more than the cost of the whole volume. 

 We hope the practice of giving premiums for the 



