52 NEW HAMPSHIRE AGRICULTURE. 



APPENDIX D. 



AGRICULTURAL PROGRESS FROM 1782 TO 1833. 



During the long period extending from the death of the first, 

 in 1782, to that of the third proprietor of the First Minister's 

 Farm, in 1833, New Hampshire farming made few marked ad- 

 vances. The time was largely one of recovery from the ex- 

 haustion of war and financial embarrassments. The farmers 

 lived isolated on their individual holdings. They rarely left 

 their homes except as they went occasionally to market or to 

 mill and on Sundays to meeting. 



But while this period of about fifty years was not fruitful in 

 very obvious advances in the state's farming, it was, neverthe- 

 less, important as the forerunner of a succeeding one of won- 

 drous progress ; just as the ministry of John the Baptist was of 

 the grander one of the Messiah. In other words, it was the ag- 

 ricultural daybreak of the full-orbed agricultural day. 



On the 16th of December, 1812, the governor of the state of 

 New Hampshire approved an act of the Legislature making 

 Jedediah K. Smith of Amherst, Nathaniel Upham of Roches- 

 ter, Samuel Sparhawk of Concord, Ithamar Chase of Cornish, 

 Thomas D. Merrill of Epsom, Timothy Walker of Concord, 

 Joshua Darling of Henniker, Samuel Quarles of Ossipee, John 

 F. Parrot of Portsmouth, Edward Cutts of Portsmouth, John 

 Bradley of Concord, Joseph Sawyer of Piermont, William 

 Badger of Gilmanton, John Hodgdon, Levi Hutchins of Ccn- 

 cord, Nathaniel Gilman of Exeter, Richard Odell of Conway, 

 John Dame of Portsmouth, and Peter Stow, their associates 

 and successors a body politic and corporate, " To promote and 

 encourage agriculture, economy and husbandry and useful 

 domestic manufactures the objects of their association [and] and 

 shall have right and power to ordain and grant premiums and 

 medals or other gratuities as rewards of merit, exertion, dis- 

 covery or improvement on the several objects aforesaid." 1 



How far this society was active in promoting the objects for 

 which it was instituted I am unable to say. It was soon fol- 



iPam. Laws, 1812, p. 27. 



