THE FARM OF THE FIRST MINISTER. 53 



lowed by the establishment of kindred organizations in several 

 counties: In Rockingham in 1814, in Cheshire in 1816, in 

 Strafford and Grafton in 18 18, in Coos in 1819, and in Merri- 

 mack in 1824. All of these were instrumental for many years 

 in stimulating agricultural improvement in their several locali- 

 ties by exhibitions of choice farm products and domestic manu- 

 factures and by the payment of premiums therefor. 



In 1820 the way seemed open to a further advance, and the 

 Legislature created a State Board of Agriculture, to consist of 

 the presidents of the several county societies and of one dele- 

 gate from each who " Shall receive and examine all such re- 

 ports and returns as have been or shall be made by the county 

 societies within the state ; and select for publication such of 

 them and such other essays relative to improvements in agri- 

 culture as they may think will conduce to the advancement of 

 agriculture. 



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"And shall annually publish a pamphlet at the expense of the 

 state, to be distributed by means of said agricultural societies to 

 the people of this state." 



At a meeting of the Board, holden on the nineteenth day of 

 June, 1 82 1, Hon. William Badger of Gilmanton was chosen 

 President ; Hon. Matthew Harvey of Hopkinton, Secretary ; 

 Hon. Samuel Grant of Walpole, Treasurer ; and Hon. Amos 

 Kent of Chester, Rev. Humphrey Moore of Milford, and Hon. 

 Samuel Grant, a Committee of Publication. 



This Board had but a short career. In 1822 it issued a very 

 creditable report of one hundred and thirty-five octavo pages, des- 

 ignated "The New Hampshire Agricultural Repository, No. 1 ." 

 It contains eight well-written papers, all from the pens of two 

 members of the Board. This first Report was its last and the 

 Board ceased to exist a year or two after its issue. It was, 

 however, the precursor by half a century of the Board, which, 

 instituted at a more auspicious time, has achieved a high and 

 lasting success. 



