162 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



April 



it must, during this tbainage, across the whole 

 breadth of a large sloping field. But every dis- 

 advantage is removed if we tile drain it — the ma- 

 nm-e is retaiiaed, and the water flows quickly off. 

 We must not expect to find a perfect soil to order. 

 I once asked one of the most skilful and eminent 

 cultivators in this country, what was the relative 

 Talue of a decidedly sandy soil, and a strong or 

 clayey loam. His answer was, "If you give a hun- 

 di'ed dollars an acre for the sandy, you can afford 

 to give t'lvo hundred dollars for the strong loam. 

 For you can do whatever you like with it. Ma- 

 nure will enrich it to any extent you wish ; and by 

 complete tile-drainage, you can render it fit for 

 any use." — Correspondence Country Gentleman. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 KTOBTH GKOTON, N. H. 



This portion of Groton, though, territoiially con- 

 sidered, veiy near the centre of the town, is by 

 way of distinction called North Groton, from the 

 fact that the first post-office established was des- 

 ignated Groton, although located in the southerly 

 part of the to^vii, and hence, when the public good, 

 and the convenience of the inliabitants required 

 another office, tlie name of the original office would 

 have to be changed, or the new office must have a 

 jjr^'fiic, rind the citizens agreed upon North. 



This is a pleasant township ; the surface gener- 

 ally undulating, not mountainous, after a rise of 

 about a mile from the valley of Baker's river ; it 

 is well watered by branches of Baker's river and 

 several other streams, which fall into Newfound 

 lake, and one considerable pond. The soil is pro- 

 ductive, and easily worked, and adapted to all the 

 grains, roots, and most of the fruits of other poi'- 

 tions of New England. The timber is mostly 

 spruce, hemlock, sugar maple, beech, birch, some 

 pine, &c. 



The climate, of course, is somewhat variable, not 

 so much so, however, as it is nearer the sea-coast, 

 but judging from the health and longevity of the 

 inhabitants, it is pecidiarly healthy. Groton is in 

 Grafton county, and is bounded, north-east by 

 E-umney, south-east by Hebron, south-west by 

 Orange, and north-west by Dorchester. It is 10 

 miles fi-om Plymouth, half shire-town of Grafton 

 county, 45 miles from Concord, 29 miles from 

 Dartmouth College, 29 miles from Haverliill, the 

 other half-shire, 90 miles from Portland, and 120 

 miles from Boston. It is true that this section of 

 country is in a high degree of latitude, and the 

 winters are longer than in mOre southern cihnes, 

 but the disadvantage, if it be one, is more than 

 compensated by the unrivalled jiiii'ity of air and 

 water. 



The inhabitants are mostly independent and 

 forehanded farmers and mechanics, and for moral 

 and social virtues, and general intelligence, they 

 stand deservedly high. Great interest is mani- 

 fested in the cause of popular education. Indeed, 

 according to the report of the New Hampshire 

 Board of Education, the schools of this town oc- 

 cupy a very high position ; they rank as high^ as 

 the highest. A few days since the School Commis- 

 sioner for Grafton county, Prof. Pattekson, of 

 Dartmouth College, visited the school at this place, 

 and delivered an address at the church in the 

 evening to au attentive and deeply interested au- 



dience. The occasion was one of much interest, 

 parents and scholars participating. The people 

 of this town, too, are alive and active in evei-y good 

 cause and work. A short time since, the pastor 

 of the congregational church, Rev. Mr. Conant, 

 was greeted by his parishioners and friends Avith 

 a visit, leaving behind them many substantial 

 tokens of love and regard for hira, as their pastor, 

 and respect for him as a ftiithful and devoted min- 

 ister. Subsequently a large number made the 

 Rev. Mr. Kenne, a retired clergj'man, Avho for a 

 time has been suffering with ill-health, a similar 

 visit. Sectarianism does not seem to influence 

 adversely the benevolent *'bump" of the good 

 people of Groton. 



In the former case, the Rev. Mr. Conant is a 

 thorough going trinitarian orthodox of the old 

 school. Yet not only brethren in that faith, but 

 Baptists, Universalists, Methodists, &c., alike free- 

 ly gave, and freely joined in the social festivities 

 of the occasion. In the latter. Rev. Mr. Kenne is 

 a Calvinistic Baptist ; but his visitors and almon- 

 ers represented all of the persuasions enumerated 

 above. Now this seems to me to be an exhibition 

 of a true Christian spirit, disinterested benevo- 

 lence, and the right sort of charity. 



That Groton is thoroughly a cold-water ])lace, 

 may be learned from the fact that there is no 

 agency, nor public house, nor store, nor place of 

 any kind, where intoxicating liquors are kept or 

 sold ; and only one man in the whole town, who 

 is known habitually to use them in any form. 



Knowing that the New England Farmer is a 

 welcome visitor to many of the households of 

 Groton, Ihave said thus much, intending, if agree- 

 able to your corps editorial, to keep you posted 

 in reference to matters of interest in this locality. 



North Oroton, N. H., 1860. b. 



Raising Pork. — At a discussion by members 

 of the Ohio Agricultural Society, Mr. Taggard, of 

 Wayne, said : 



I keep a sleeping and dining-room for my hogs, 

 warm and clean. Thus I save one-third of the 

 feed. Don't crowd my hogs with feed. Get corn 

 meal and scald. Have such hogs as mature early. 

 Keep them till May, and ring them and turn them 

 into the clover field. Give them a little corn. — 

 Leave them there until the first of September, 

 just when the corn begins to harden. Cut up 

 corn and throw to them three times a day ; more 

 value in your corn and stalk then than afterwards. 

 One bushel of corn in September will fatten more 

 than one and a half bushels in December. A hog 

 will pay for good keeping as well as a horse or ox. 

 Kill November 15th. Don't like Sufiblks. 



Mr. Gregory's Address. — We have received 

 a copy of the Address before the Essex Agricul- 

 tural Society for 1859, by James J. H. Gregory. 

 Starting with the axiom that "for every effect 

 there is a cause," the speaker, by forcible and 

 well-stated considerations and illustrations, draws 

 attention to the importance of correct observation 

 and exact experiments to the farmer, with refer- 

 ence to the elevation of his nature and the iBH* 

 provement of his calling. '' 



