25 



quantities as a field crop. On the iSth of April, 1764, the 

 good minister sowed them in no less than three different places, 

 in the latter, " 1 peck of large peas and three pecks of Hot- 

 spurs." On the 4th of August, these were " haik'd." Forty 

 days afterwards he cleared up fourteen bushels, having pre- 

 viously brought four and a half bushels from " Mr. Virgins." 



It may seem to us a singular fact that, in none of the first 

 minister's diaries which have come down to us is there any 

 mention of the potato, and that we are left to infer that it was 

 not in very general use in Penny cook before the Revolution. 

 We are told that it was first brought into New Hampshire by 

 the Scotch Irish, who settled at Londonderry, 1 in 1719. While 

 it was well known in South America long ere this, it did not 

 become a common article of food in this country or in Europe, 

 Ireland excepted, before the middle or latter part of the eigh- 

 teenth century. 



In the days of which we are speaking, a considerable variety 

 of beverages were in common use, some of them being intox- 

 icating, while others might be called exhilarating and even ine- 

 briating if taken in excess. Among the latter were beer and 

 cider. 



The first minister, as did also his neighbors, furnished them 

 to his visitors and to his household. He made cider, and was 

 part owner of a mill for its manufacture. 



In 1764, however, he seems to have decided that it became 

 the town minister to become sole proprietor of such an institu- 

 tion, and he proceeds accordingly. He first enlarged his 

 orcharding, as he tells us, by setting out, on the 21st of April, 

 "about 20 apple trees in y e Island orchard" and " y e Joel 

 orchard ;" that on the 23d he bought and set out 40 apple trees, 

 and that on the 24th he "sat out about 60 young apple trees 

 in y e house lot," thereby making to his former orcharding the 

 very respectable addition of 120 trees. 



As showing farther progress in the accomplishment of this 

 important purpose, he remarks, against the date of August 3d 

 of this same year, " Sold him [Mr. Farrington] my quarter of 

 cider mill for *j\ days work. . . . Mr. Aaron Stevens was 



1 Belknap's History of New.Hampshire, ed. of 1791, vol. 2, p. -yj. 



