8 N. H. Agri. Experiment Station [Bulletin 298 



The growing season is probably about 110 days with considerable 

 variation as to particular location. This compares with 130 days in 

 the Connecticut Valley a few miles to the west. 



The soil is variable as in most parts of the State. (Plate 2, p. 34.) Fine 

 sandy loams, stony loams, stony rough land, soils too wet for crops, 

 gravel, and rock outcrop can be found. In general, many of the till- 

 age fields are good loams and are capable of supporting good yields if 

 managed with livestock and lime. For the most part they are difficult 

 to work and depreciate rapidly if not managed aggressively. 



In the preliminary mapping by the Soil Survey' about 40 types or 

 sub-types were found. 



For purposes of this report these types were regrouped into five 

 classes: namely, (1) good for crop land, of which there were 24,412 

 acres, 13% ; (2) fair for crop land, 18,779 acres, 10% ; (3) soils suitable 

 for pasture, 56,337 acres, 30% ; (4) soils suitable for forest, 84,505 acres, 

 45% ; and (5) non-agricultural and non-forest land, 3,756 acres, 2%,. 



I'his classification should not be taken to indicate that these lands 

 are now usable for these purposes, but rather as the potential possibili- 

 ties if the present trends should ever be reversed. The land classified 

 as good for crops is good only if clear and managed with livestock. The 

 yields on much of it would he disappointing under present conditions, 

 although it is physically possible to develop it into good yielding land 

 at some expense in time, labor, and capital. Much of the land classi- 

 fied as pasture is now in timber and has potential possibilities only if 

 under a long-time management plan. There is nothing in the present 

 economic outlook to suggest that future prices of milk and other prod- 

 ucts would bring forth the development and management required, but 

 the classification is included here because the location of these grades 

 of land is important in future planning of the area. Under the pres- 

 ent outlook one would consider for agriculture only the better soils of 

 the present tillage land. From a practical viewpoint, priority should 

 be given to those tillage acres which have been well managed in recent 

 years. A study of this generalized soil map indicates the small amount 

 of potential good crop land. 



PRESENT USE AND OCCUPANCY OF LAND 



About 8,000 acres', or 4.2 per cent of the area, is in open tillage fields. 

 Other land areas except for small pieces of open pasture are pretty well 

 grown up to timber or brush. ^ 



The tillage land is mostly in hay, and many fields really represent a 

 stage in the normal abandonment process in which hay is harvested each 

 year until the yields are not sufficient to induce neighbors to harvest 

 the crop. Thus, for a dozen years after the farm ceases to be operated 



' The field work for the Grafton County Soil Survey was completed in 1935 

 in cooperation with the U. S. Bureau of Soils. The report is not yet published. 



' The total acreage of tillage land as estimated on 252 survey records was 

 6,414 acres. Including estimates on the 37 remaining places and summer 

 homes would bring the total to approximately 8,000 acres. 



^ The detailed survey of Dorchester indicates 3.45 per cent of land area 

 in tillage land and 7.67 per cent in pasture. Other open land is small areas 

 in former pastures and fields not yet fully claimed by the forest. 



