THE FARM OF THE FIRST MINISTER. 55 



The nearly fifty acres of bog land was a part of an abandoned 

 channel of Merrimack river, whose surface had been raised by 

 successive deposits of aquatic vegetation and freshet silt some 

 six feet above the average height of the river. For the want of 

 proper drainage it was impassable by teams, and produced only 

 bushes, sedges, and the poorest kind of meadow grass. It sur- 

 rounded the main body of the tillage land by a belt, varying in 

 width all the way from two to twenty rods, parallel with which 

 extended much of the way an outer belt of water of varying 

 width. 



At some remote period a ditch had been cut through a sec- 

 tion of this bog in the direction of Horse Shoe pond, but its 

 channel had been so obstructed by freshets, aquatic plants, and 

 bushes as to greatly impair its efficiency for drainage. 



Some seven or eight acres of this bog had been mowed from 

 time to time, but the crops had hardly paid the cost of their 

 removal. The whole tract was underlaid by a water table, 

 whose surface rose and fell with that of the adjacent pond. At 

 the same time, it was the most conspicuous part of the farm and 

 was partially occupied by a belt of bushes, which previous 

 neglect had allowed to grow thereon ; but while this sodden 

 section had few attractions for the farmer, sportsmen and their 

 dogs were drawn to it and knew far better all the mazes of its 

 thickets than did its owner. 



Sixty acres of the farm's wood and timber land was covered 

 with a sparse growth of pitch pine ( Pinus rigida), and formed 

 a part of the sandy plain on the east side of the Merrimack 

 river. Some of the trees were of primeval growth. So free of 

 underbrush was it that a carriage might pass through it in all 

 directions. Fires had swept over it repeatedly, but its trees 

 had been large enough to successfully withstand their ravages. 

 It is greatly to be regretted that this valuable inhabitant of our 

 forests seems destined to become virtually extinct in New 

 Hampshire, and at a day not far distant. 



The remainder of the farm's forest land was covered with the 

 common deciduous trees found in our upland woods, mixed 



by the town clerk. That designating those kept upon the First Minister's Farm 

 was "A Swallow's Tail in the off Ear and a half Penny the under side of the 

 near Ear, entered June 9th 1770." 



Concord Town Records, printed Vol., p. 530. 



