USA > New Hampshire > Atlas of the state of New Hampshire : including statistics and descriptions of its topography, geology, river systems, climatology, railroads, educational institutions, agricultural and botanical productions, mechanical and manufacturing interests, etc. > Part 8
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FOREST TREES.
Among the twenty-seven nntural orders which make up the greater part of the flora of New Hampshire, we find the pine family the most important, either as a prominent feature of the landscape, or as contributing to the wealth of the State. First in this fam- ily is the white pine, which has heen the most valued of our forest trecs ever since the servants of King George roused the indigna- tion of the pioneers hy placing their " broad arrow " on the best mast trces of the Merri- mack valley. When the country was eov- ered by the primeval forest, this tree filled all the river valleys with a stately growth, extending along thnt of the Connecticut to the northern boundary. At the present day this growth has nearly disnppeared before the lumberman's axe, but the great ahundance of saplings in the southern part of the state shows that this species is still the principal conifer of that section. Passing northward into Coös county, we find the white pine mueh restricted in area, occurring mostly at the head waters of the streams, and mainly con- fined to first growth specimens, saplings being of rare occurrence, even where the Innd is al- lowed to return to forest after clearing.
The pitch and red pines are much more limited in range than the foregoing. The piteli pine finds its most congenial soil along the saudy plains and drift knolls of the river valleys, scarcely growing on hills that attain much elevation ahove the sea level. It is found most abundantly in the south-eastern part of the State, in the Merrimack valley,
and around Lakes Winnipiseogee and Ossi. pee, extending northward as far as North Conway. In the valley of the Connectieut it appears less abundantly. The red pine, often wrongly ealled " Norway pine," is the most social of the pine genus found with us, oceur ring in groups of from a few individuals to groves containing several aeres. Although ' much less common, its range is nearly the same as that of the pitch pine, probably at- taining a higher elevation above the sea level. This species is of handsome appearance and rapid growth, and is well worthy to be plant. ed for ornament.
In the White Mountain region, the balsam fir and black spruce, growing together in ahout equal numbers, give to the scenery one of its peculiar features. The stiff, spiked forms of the one are mingled with the black ish green foliage of the other almost univer. sally along the mountain sides, and nre the last of arborescent vegetation to yield to the increased cold and fieree winds of the higher summits. North of the mountains these trees, with arbor vitæ, are the predominant ever- greens, mingling with the white spruce about Connecticut lake. In the southern part of the State they nre mostly confined to the highlands hetween the Merrimack and Con. necticut, the black spruce nppearing most abundantly.
The hemlock, which when young is the most grnceful of the spruees, is common in the southern part of the State, ranging in greatest ahundance from around the base of the White Mountains southward along the highlands, becoming less common near the eoast. It has its northern limit in the vicin ity of Colehrook and Umhagog lake, reaching an elevation of ahout twelve hundred feet above the sea.
" Our arbor vitæ is," says Prof. Gray, " the physiognomie tree of our cold swamps at the north and in Canada." This tree, very rare- ly seen in southern New Hampshire except when cultivated for a hedge,* enters as a prominent element into the flora of Coos county, growing most ahundantly along the borders of slow streams and in swamps, and varying from thirty to fifty feet in height.
Hackmatacks, or tamaracks, do not enter largely into our flora, but are of very grace- ful appearance wherever they are seen. This species is chiefly found in swamps of small extent, and ranges along the highlands from
27
DISTRIBUTION OF TREES.
Massachusetts to north of the White Moun- tains. The red cedar, or savin, has the most limited range of all our trees belonging to this family, eccurring mostly near the sea coast in sterile svil.+ Juniper, of the same family, is sometimes troublesome hy overspreading hil ly pastures. The Canadian variety of tho yew is often present in cold land swamps as an under shruh, familiarly known hy the name of "ground hemlock."
While the evergreens wear the same som. hre aspect throughout tho year, the deciduous trees present every phase of change from leaf- less hranches in winter to the delicate green of spring, the full leafago of summer, and the gorgeous hues of autumn; so that to them are due some of the most pleasing features of New Hampshire scenery. This effect is in- ereased hy their greater number of species as compared with the evergreens, and hy their heterogeneous mode of growth, a forest of de- cidous trees generally containing several spe- cies, growing in ahout cqual numbers. in. eur forests the most important of these are maples, heech hirchies, chestnut, and oaks ; and, less abundantly, elm, hutternut, hicko- ry, ashes, cherries, hasswood, and poplars.
The maples are hest represented, all the species growing in the northern United States heing present. First among these are our white, red, and sugar maples, all heing large trees. The white or river maple is the most limited in range, heing confined to the inter- vals of the principal streams, and rarely found away from them. The red maple (often wrongly called white maple) is the inost widely spread species, being common to all parts of the State, and giving the brilliant scarlet hue of our woodlands in autumn. The roek or sugar maple is the largest of the ge- nus, and fills an important part in the eeon- emy of the State, furnishing sugar and valu- ahle timher. It is common on hillsides throughout most of the State and along many of the streamns, hut is rare toward the sea. coast.
The heech and the sugar maple are the most common deciduous trees of Coos county, making up the greater part of the "hard- wood " forests. Southward, heech is common to the higlilands only, often growing with spruces and hemlocks.
Four species of birch are common. Three of them,-the hlaek, yellow, and canoe bireh- es,-have the same range as the red maple, for the most part ; hut the canoe or paper hirch seems to attain the highest elevation, heing found high up tho sides of the moun- tains, its white bark in striking contrast with the dark trunks and foliage of the firs and spruces. The fourth and smallest of these, the whito birch, is distinguished for its light and graceful foliage, which renders it a pleas- ing feature wherever it is found. It is most ahundant in the south-eastern part of the State, springing up along sandy plains and around the edges of woodland. its growth is rapid, rising again, when cut down, hy shoots from the root. This species supplies the " gray hirch hoop-poles " used in the man- ufacture of fish barrels.
Five or six species of oaks are found here. Of these the red oak is the hardiest, hut, al- though tho only species found along the water shed between the Merrimack and Con necticut, it does not extend much beyond the White Mountains, having its upper limit at about one thousand feet above the sea. The white and yellow oaks usually appear togeth- er, growing on the plains and hillsides along the rivers. The former of these, especially valuahle for thio strength and durability of its timher, extends northward in the Connec ticut valley nearly to the mouth of the Pas- sumpsic, in the Merrimack valley to Plymouth, and, in the eastern part of the State, to the vicinity of Ossipee lake. Its limit in altitude is ahout five hundred feet above the sea, which is also very nearly that of the frost grape. The harren or scrub oak is abundant on the pine plains of the lower Merrimack valley, thence extending eastward to the coast, and to the sandy plains of Madison and Con- way. The chestnut oak seems to he loeal in this state; at Amherst and West Ossipeo it can he found abundantly.
The chestnut is found in the same situations as the white oak, hut is the first to reach its limit in altitude, which is at a height of ahout four hundred feet ahove tho sea. it occurs in a few localities ahout Lako Winnipiseogee at a somewhat greater height, tho neighhor- hood of the lake producing less severity of temperature than in tho river valleys at the samne altitude.
The American elm attains prohahly the largest size of any of our deciduous trees. This naturally finds its home in the alluvial soil of our rivers. It has also heen the most extensively planted for shade and ornament of all our trees, exeepting perhaps the sugar maple. Owing to its majestic appearance, it is very conspicuous wherever present, hut the number growing together is generally small.
Butternuts also prefer the borders of streams, and, in the valley of the Pemige- wasset, extend northward to the hase of the mountains. Hiekories aro most common in the lower Merrimack valley, the shollbark ex. tending northward to the vieinity of Lake Winnipiseogee. Basswood is found mostly on highlands, hut is not vory common. The black cherry is found throughout the State, usually most common near streams.
Two species of poplar are commonly found. The first is a small tree, very common in light soil, and often springing in great ahundunce whero woodland is eleared away. The other may ho a large tree, with dark colored hark on the trunk, whence it is often ealled " hlack poplar." In spring the young leaves are elothed with white down, by which this spe- cies can then he distinguished at a great dis- tance.
THE ALPINE FLORA.
The wind-swept summits of our White Mountains are to the hotanist the most inter- esting locality east ef the Mississippi, for there are found the lingering remnants ef a
flora once common probably to all New Eng- land, hut which, since the close of tho glacial cpoch, has, with few exceptions, retreated to Arctic America. On the highest of theso mountains, only, are found the conditions fa vorable to the growth of these arctic plants. Of these alpine areas, Mt. Washington and the adjacent peaks are the largest, being a treeless region at least eight miles long hy two miles wide at its hroadest part. These nlpine plants aro of great hardihood, and sometimes hloom amid ice and snow Ahout fifty species aro strictly alpine, and nevor found elsowhere with us. Theso are accom- panied hy ahout as many other species, which are also found at tho hase of tho moun tains, and sometimes throughout the Stato. Theso may be called suh-alpino, heing found in the ravines and on tho lower portions of the treeless ureas, hut not upon tho higher summits.
The peculiar flora of these heights, almost wholly consisting of plants never found ut lower elevations south of arctic latitudes, hut identieal with those found on Mt. Katalıdin in Maine, and the Adirondacks in New York, has led naturalists to inquire how it is possi- blo to uecount for this idenity of species found at a few isolated stations in the midst of the temperate zone, with those of regions moro than a thousand miles north. The conditions of climate which prevail over the intervening territory render it impossible for these plants to maintain their existence, and show that thoy never have migrated to these stations under ordinary causes. The science of geol- ogy has led to the prohable solution of this problem. It has heen found necessary, for the oxplanation of many phenomena in the surface geology of the northern temperate zone, to suppose that ut u comparatively re- cent geological period the climatie conditions were wholly different from those of the pres- ent time. The ruins of a burned building do not tell their story more plainly than do the boulders of our hills and the worn and striated sides of our mountains prove the existence of glaciers and icebergs among them at no very distant date in geologieal history. Tho ex- planation which this affords of the origin of an aretic flora upon high mountains in the tomperate zone, has heen pointed out hy one of the foremost theorists of the present day. As the low temperature of the frigid zone he- came gradually extended over this whole area, the forms of vegetation peculiar to an urctie elimate took the place of those whichi had previously existed, whilo these receded to the south. Again, upon the gradual re- turn of a more genial climate throughout this area, tho arctic flora disappeared, follow- ing the retreat of tho eauses by which it was brought, and only remaining, with the re establishment of warmth and fertility, upon those higher mountain summits whose eleva- tion renders them arctic islands in the mid- dle of the temperate zone. He who aseends to this ultitude has a similar opportunity for hotanic study as if he made a journey to the north, passing first from the nohle forests, with which we are familar, to those of stunted
28
DISTRIBUTION OF TREES.
growth, and, finally leaving them behind al- together, at length arriving at the barren and bleak regions beneath the Arctic Circle.
In approaching these mountain summits, one is first struck by the appearance of the firs and spruces, which gradually become more and more dwarfish, at length rising but a few feet from the ground, the branches spreading out horizontally many feet, and becoming thickly interwoven. These pre- sent a comparatively even upper surface, which is often firm enough to walk upon. At length these disappear wholly, and give place to the Lapland rhododendron, Labrador tea, dwarf birch, and alpine willows, all of which,
after rising a few inches above the ground, spread out over the surface of the nearest rock, thereby gaining warmth, which enables them to exist in spite of tempest and cold. These in their turn give place to the Green- land sandwort, the diapensia, the cassiope, and others, with arctic rushes, sedges, and lichens, which flourish on the very summits.
INTRODUCED PLANTS.
As shown from field notes in my catalogue published in the first volume of the " Geology of New Hampshire," there are more than one thousand species of plants found in New
Hampshire. Of these about one hundred are " introduced," having been imported, either intentionally or otherwise, through the agency of man. Some of them are indigenous in other parts of our own country, but the greater part come from Europe. Many of them have increased until they nre found in all cultivuted soils, wbile others establish themselves only locally. In the former class are most of the "weeds of cultivation," and nearly all the grasses inown for hay. Most of these plants, although so well established under the present conditions, would probably altogether disappear were the country allowed to return again to its natural state.
PRINCIPAL MECHANICAL AND MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES.
From the United States Census of 1870.
Mechanical or Manufacturing Industry.
No. of Establishments.
No. of Ilands eniployed,
Capital invested.
Annual Wages paid.
Cost of Materials.
Value of Product.
24
184
$ 174,550.00
S 78,505.00
S 77,714.00
254,470.00
Agricultural Implements,
5
17
28,000.00
6,800.00
90,796.00
115,460.00
Belting and Hose,
303
596
211,090.00
112,719.00
144,844.00
467,704.00
Blacksmithing,
257
3,107
1,003,215.00
1,228,314.00
3,011,992.00
6,162,259.00
Boots and Shoes,
14
76
53,500.00
30,836.00
Bakeries,
4
113
131,805.00
112,040.00
88,570.00
313,831.00
Breweries,
57
544
276,810.00
53,800.00
373,156.00
635.880.00
Brick,
119
826
554,055.00
374,692.00
333,992.00
938,834.00
Carriages and Wagons,
75
798
250,340.00
207,358.00
451,930.00
820,714.00
Clothing,
35
12,541
13,331,710.00
3,989,853.00
12,318,447.00
16,999,072.00
Cotton Goods,
3
71
80,750.00
35,665.00
48,725.00
114,200.00
Edge Tools and Axes,
1
365
300,000.00
46,497.00
477,133.00
800,000.00
Fire Engines,
1
88
93,750.00
27,000.00
2,496,054.00
2,747,973.00
Flouring and Grist Mille,
58
1,104
731,300.00
495,673.00
Furniture,
98
1,081
855,460.00
405,003.00
433,110.00
642,800,00
Iron, Wrought,
26
506
500,760.00
285,165.00
3,047,719.00
3,758,286.00
127
676
1,235,800.00
273,438.00
126,389.00
386,205.00
Machinery, Cotton and Woolen,
36
397
341,150.00
190,786.00
165,266.00
500,550.00
Machinery, Miscellaneous,
32
648
1,079,000.00
240,473.00
4,118,453.00
4,670,333.00
Print Works, Cotton and Woolen,
3
635
678,000.00
273,225.00
115,772.00
392,707.00
Printing and Publishing,
306,720.00
Saddlery and Harness,
85
260
133.540.00
80,401.00
137,778.00
Sash, Doors and Blinds,
28
354
243,450.00
159,130.00
223,931.00
481,656.00
Starch,
66
294
246,200.00
23,381.00
308,698.00
405,242.00
Tin, Copper and Sheet Iron Ware,
57
19
137,650.00
64.115.00
123,760.00
261,675.00
Wooden Ware,
60
416
273,400.00
144.848.00
149,322.00
449,220.00
Woolen Goods,
66
3,729
4,598,800.00
1,353,992.00
5,264,520.00
8,703,307.00
Worsted Goods,
1,161
700,000.00
378,017.00
1,032,118.00
1,447,422.00
4
175
189,000.00
87,500.00
458,796.00
Leather,
31
386
272,450.00
149,932.00
1,080,372.00
1,853,595.00
Paper,
45
802
336,400.00
118,904.00
132,000.00
175,000.00
Flax and Linen Goode,
195
388
669,340.00
74,914.00
676,332.00
1,475,776.00
881,646.00
1,757,445 00
Hosiery,
914,568.00
Iron, Cast,
137,620.00
206,612.00
RAILROADS IN NEW HAMPSHIRE.
BY WARREN UPHAM.
T THE rapid development, during the last forty years, of theagricultural and miner- al resources of the United States, the growth of manufactures, and the increase in popu- lation and wealth, have heen due in a large measure to the facilities for communication and trade supplied hy the railroad. By this the grain of the West, the coal of Pennsyl- vania, and the manufactured products of New England, find a market, and the jour. ney from Boston to San Francisco, 3450 miles, can he accomplished in soven days. In 1826 the first railroad in this country was built in Quincy, Mass., three miles in length, to carry granite from the quarries to tide water. From this beginning the work lias advanced, till in 1874, there were 71,500 miles of railway in the United States,
Railroads from Boston to Providence, Low- ell, and Worcester, were opened in succes- sion during the same year, on June 2, June 27, and July 6, 1835. This year is the date of incorporation of three railroads in New- Hampshire, the Nashua & Lowell, Concord, and Boston & Maine. In the following year the Eastern Railroad iu New Hampshire was incorporated. All these were built and in successful operation in 1842.
The companies next incorporated, during the years 1844 to 1848, were the Northern, Great Falls & Conway, Boston, Concord & Montreal, Cheshire, Ashuelot, Wilton, Wor- cester & Nashua, Concord & Portsmouth, Peterborough & Shirley, Franklin & Bris- tol, Sullivan County, Atlantic & St. Law- rence, Manchester & Lawrence, Cochecho (now Dover & Winnipiseogee), Concord & Claremont, Contoocook Valloy, N. H. Cen- tral, and White Mountains, nearly all of which were completed during the years 1848 to 1853.
Next follows a term of fifteen years in which scarcely any railroad building was done in this State, extending to 1868. The eight years since that time may he called the second era of railroad building in New- Hampshire, during which important exten- sions have been made to the White Moun- tains Railroad, now united with the Boston, Concord & Montreal ; the Concord & Clare- mont (N. H.) and Portsmouth, Great Falls
& Conway railroads have been completed; and many new roads havo been built, includ- ing the Mt. Washington Railway, the Port land & Ogdensburg, Portland & Rochester, Nashua & Rochester, Nashna, Acton & Bos- ton, Suncook Valley, Wolfchorough, Ports- mouth & Dover, West Amesbury Branch, Peterborough, and Monadnock, and at the present time that portion of the Manchestor & Kecne Railroad, which lies between Green- field and Keene, is in process of construc- tion.
The total length of railroads in New- Hampshire in 1842, was 91 miles; in 1850, 488 miles; in 1853, at the close of tho first era of railroad building, 655 miles ; in 1860, this remained the same ; in 1870, 690 miles ; at the present time, in 1876, 943 miles.
The most important thoroughfares of trade and travel, which cross New Hampshire, start from Boston or Portland, connecting them with the St. Lawrence Valley and the West. One of the most important routes he- tween Boston and the West, is by way of tho Boston and Lowell, Nashua & Lowell, Con- cord, Northern, and Central Vermont rail- roads, passing north of Lake Champlain ; another important routo is over the Fitch- hurg and Cheshire railroads, through Rut- land, Vt. Portland, Maine, with one of the finest harbors in the United States, is con nected with Boston by the Eastern and Bos- ton & Maine railroads ; with the south west hy the line composed of the Portland & Rochester, Nashua & Rochester, and Wor. cester & Nashua railroads; with the White Mountains and the West, hy the Portland and Ogdensburg ; and with the Province of Quebec and the West, by the Grand Trunk Railway.
The routes which receive their largest re turns from summer tourists aro the Boston, Concord and Montreal, the Portsmouth, Great Falls and Conway, and the Portland and Ogdenshurg. The attraction of our scenery also hrings increased receipts to nearly every railroad in the State. Another source of in- come from northern New Hampshire is the freighting of lumher, which before the build- ing of railroads was not worth the cost of getting it te a purchaser.
Many of the railroads of this State are not now operated by the same corporations under which they wero huilt. The Atlantic and St. Lawrence, extending from 'Portland to Island Pond, Vt., was leased soon after its completion, Aug. 5, 1853, to the Grand Trunk Railway, for a term of 999 years, In September, 1874, this railway from Mon. treal to Portland, 291 miles, was changed from the broad track of 5 feet 6 inclics to the prevailing American guage of 4 feet 8} in ches, which completed the narrowing of their whole line, 1377 miles in length. Sixty new narrow gnago engines wero placed upon the road, and the other rolling stock was altered to the saine guage. When this railway was huilt, it was confidently believed that its broad guage would he finally adopted throughout the whole country.
The White Mountains Railroad, incorpo- rated Dec. 25th, 1848, and opened from Wells River to Littleton in 1853, has been united with the Boston, Concord & Montreal Railroad, which was extended in August, 1872, to a junction with the Grand Trunk at Groveton, with a branch opened July 1st, 1874, to the Fahyan House, and in June, 1876, to the base of the MIt. Washington Railway.
The Franklin & Bristol Railroad, shortly after its completion, was united with the Northern Railroad, Jan. 31, 1849.
The presont Concord & Claremont (N. H.) corporation was formed in 1873, by tho un- ion of tho old Concord & Claromont, incorpo. rated June 24th, 1848, extending from Con cord to Bradford, tho Sugar River, incorpo- rated July 7th, 1866, extending from Brad- ford to Claremont Junction, and the Contoo cook Valley, incorporated June 24, 1848. which is now the Hillsborough Branch.
The Manchester and Northi Weare rail- road, was built in 1850, under the title of New- Hampshire Central, and originally ex. tended to Henniker. The portion between this placo and North Weare was taken up Oct. 31st, 1858. The present company was incorporated in 1859, and purchased the N. H. Central Railroad, June 10th, 1859.
The Concord & Portsmouth Railroad was first built in 1852 from Concord to Ports.
30
RAILROADS.
mouth, running east of Manchester, but in November, 1861, was discontinued from Can- dia to Suneook, and extended by a new route into Manchester. At the same time a two mile branch was built by the Concord Rail- road from Hooksett to Suneook, making two lines between Hooksett and Concord.
The Peterborough & Shirley Railroad, iu- corporated in 1846, and completed in 1850, was sold to the Fitchburg Railroad Co .. Mar. 24, 1860.
The Eastern Railroad was built by sepa- rate companies in New Hampshire and Mas- sachusetts, and at its completion in 1840 the portion in this State was leased for 99 years to the Massachusetts company.
The railroad corporations which operate roads in New Hampshire under lease or eon. traet are shown in the annexed Statistical table.
The southeastern portion of the State pre. sents the most favorable ground for railway construction in New-Hampshire. In eross. ing the high land between Merrimack and Connecticut rivers, and among the moun- tains and in the northern part of the State, the natural obstacles often require steep grades and sharp eurves, greatly increasing the cost of running trains and keeping the roads in repair. The maximum grade on the Nashua & Lowell is 13 feet to a mile ; on the Concord, 16; on the Northern, 50; on the Boston & Maine, 47.5; Worcester and Nashua, 49.6; Cheshire, 59.7; Boston, Con- cord & Montreal, 80, excepting on Mt. Wash ington Branch between the Fabyan House and the foot of the mountain railway, where mueh steeper grades have been employed, reaching for the last two miles to 290 feet per mile ; on the Portland & Ogdensburg, to trains going east, 80 feet per mile, to trains going west, 116 feet .per mile for seven miles through the White Mountain Notch ; on the Grand Trunk, 66 fect to the mile.
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