28 THE HISTORY OF THE 



be instituted in case some person be found competent to 

 take the farm and teach young men the essentials of 

 successful farming, receiving the rent for his remuner- 

 ation. The other plan was to place it in the hands of 

 an experienced and intelligent farmer on a long lease, 

 subject in lieu of rent to various duties and experiments. 

 The latter was adopted, the transfer of the farm was 

 made, and it was leased at once. 



1860—1870. 



The Civil War period brought no interruption in the 

 activities of the Society. The orators made eloquent ref- 

 erence to the new and larger duties of the time. Gail 

 Hamilton contributed a stirring Original Ode for the 

 exercises in 1861. 



"Ho, freeman of Essex! Stout sons of the soil! 

 What meed to your labors, what rest to your toil. 

 While the tread of the traitor pollutes the wronged earth 

 And Liberty faints in the land of her birth!" 



And when the war was done, John G. Whittier wrote 

 "The Peace Anthem," which was sung at the anniversary, 

 Sept. 26, 1865. 



"Thank God for rest, where none molest 

 And none can make afraid ; 

 For peace that sits as Plenty's guest 

 Beneath the homestead shade. 



Bring pike and gun, the sword's red scourge, 



The negro's broken chains, 

 And beat them at the blacksmith's forge 



To ploughshares for our plains." 



Dr. Jeremiah Spofford made a careful study of the 

 Forestry problem, and encouraged the attempt by chap- 

 ters from his own observation and experience, illustrat- 

 ing the growth of white pine seedlings. "I can now 



