USA > New Hampshire > Rockingham County > Hampton Falls > History of the town of Hampton Falls, New Hampshire : from the time of the first settlement within its borders, 1640 until 1900 > Part 27
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All honor to the ladies of Hampton Falls who have set an example to their sisters throughout the county of inealeulable value to the new agricultural society.
Among our citizens who received premiums were Jeremiah Godfrey on Devons, John Weare on steers, N. P. Cram on calf, Aaron Prescott on swine, Lewis T. Sanborn on wild turkeys, John T. Batchelder first on plowing, Jeremiah Godfrey on peach orchard, Rufus C. Sanborn on carrots. Joseph Winslow of Epping was awarded the first premium on largest yield of corn,-111 bushels, 28 quarts, shelled eorn upon an acre. Mr. Winslow afterward lived and died at Hampton Falls. The other competitors for this premium from this town were Jaeob T. Brown 95.64 bushels, True M. Prescott 95 bushels, John T. Batchelder 82 bushels. These men eaeh submitted a statement of their methods of cultivation and manuring, giving all the particulars. Other awards to this town were Mrs. Sarah Perkins on cotton hose, Miss Elizabeth G. Brown. papier-mache inlaid with pearl. This last was highly spoken of by the committee.
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FAIRS.
To the committee on bog meadows: The meadow which I submit to your examinations contains an acre and five eighths. About two thirds of it was originally a meadow bearing a medium erop of has- sock and water grass. It was half covered with hassocks, and was so soft that in many places a rake handle has been easily run down its whole length. All the hay growing upon it had to be poled out to the upper side where the ground was a little harder in order to reach it with a team. The remainder was in pasture, bearing blue flags, some blue grass, and some wild grasses distinguished by no peculiarity except being remarkably tough rooted. The cause of the land being so soft was that the water eame from springs above from which there was no escape except by evaporation.
In the fall of 1848 a ditch was dug on the lower side of the meadow, and for some distance below. This diteh was two feet wide and would average about two feet in depth. In August of the next year the mud was hauled off and ten loads of hassocks were cut, hauled off, and burned. About two fifths of the meadow was plowed and sowed in the following September, which produced a fair crop the next season. After the land was plowed the mud was thrown out of the ditches on to the beds, after which it was leveled with hoes, then covered with gravel at the rate of forty loads to the aere. Some of the land was too soft to haul the gravel on with oxen, and it was put on with a wheelbarrow. It was sown with herd's-grass and redtop, and the seed harrowed in by hand with a brush harrow. In the fall of the next year another strip was plowed immediately before a heavy rain, which rendered it so soft that it was impossible to work it at all, and we were obliged to let it lie over until the next August, 1851, when it was sown. At the same time another bed was plowed and finished. In the spring of 1852 the last bed was plowed and the next AAugust finished. Owing to a severe drought the seed did not vegetate as quickly nor as well as usual, and the result was a lighter erop than usual for the first time after sowing. It, however, bids as fair for a crop as any of the preceding. All of the above beds were plowed about twenty-two feet wide, and were graveled at the same rate and finished in the same manner as the two first described.
The plow used was one of Ruggles. Nourse & Mason's, furnished with a steel point and a drag eutter made very sharp, and was of large size. As to the cost of subduing the meadow, it is impossible for me to state it exactly, as no account was kept of the time spent upon it. I would state however that all the labor was performed by myself and son, with the exception of a man in plowing, which occupied two days and a half, and a man to shovel gravel one day.
The soil of the meadow is a mud, varying in depth from six inches to two feet now it is drained. The value of the land in its unre- claimed state was nominal, as it prodneed on an average about one ton of hay annually of poor quality, and what little was in pasture was of even less value than what was mowed in proportion to its quality.
.Is to the crop of hay grown on it, as it will be shown, you must form your own conclusions. The crop was differently estimated by
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HISTORY OF HAMPTON FALLS.
different individuals, but as there are no hay scales within a reason- able distance it was never weighed. The only fact which I am able to give is as follows: On four fifths of the land, on one acre and forty- eight rods. the hay was all eut at the same time and was put into one hundred and three cocks. After the hay was thoroughly dried two of these, which had been previously selected by another person at my request, were weighed and averaged seventy-eight pounds, which would give eighty hundred and thirty-four pounds. As he was particular to select those of small size as any on the piece, I have no doubt that the weight exceeded even this. The hay produced was herd's-grass, with a slight mixture of redtop. At least one ton of second crop to the acre could have been cut by the 10th of September, but it was fed off in the following manner: About the 10th of August four calves were turned in and the 1st of September three more, and were not taken out until October 10th. Nothing was ever hanled on to the meadow but gravel, but the furrows or ditches between the beds have been cleaned out and the scraping thrown over the land once or twice since it was plowed. The crop last year was better than it was the year before, and I know of no reason why, with proper care, it should not con- tinue to produce in the same manner. All of which is respectfully submitted.
Hampton Falls.
JEREMIAH GODFREY.
As there was but one premium offered, Mr. Godfrey did not get any award. The committee regretted this, as they regarded it as a "Valuable and successful experiment."
The fair for 1854 was, like its predecessor, held at Exeter Septem- ber 14 and 15. Our people having received so much commenda- tion for what they had done the year before, made great prepara- tions to make a still better and much larger exhibition this year. A number of days were spent in getting things in readiness. We find the following account in the transactions of the State Agri- cultural Society for the year 1854. in speaking of the Rockingham County Fair:
The procession was headed by the Lawrence Brass Band, followed by the engine companies of Exeter and Dover. Next in order came one of the most striking and beautiful objects ever beheld in any agricultural festival in New England.
The Hampton Falls car consisted of an immense carriage some 30 feet in length by 15 in width, constructed expressly for the occasion, and every portion of the woodwork, even to the wheels. concealed by evergreens and flowers, the roof being neatly thatched with wheat straw. This ear far exceeded in taste, beauty, and extent that from the same place last year. It bore in front, in letters formed of ever- green. the words. "Hampton Falls Farmers' Club." The sides and
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ends were covered with flowers and evergreens for a distance of about two feet from the floor, and thence to the roof the whole was left open.
Within were the choicest productions that any town can present for the admiration of the great mass of citizens, consisting of no less than seventy-six young ladies and twenty-two young gentlemen. This elegant car with its priceless freight was drawn by forty noble oxen.
Two barouches succeeded this car containing the officers of the society, the orator of the day. His Excellency Governor Baker, invited guests.
Next in order were two carriages drawn by oxen, containing in the shape of agricultural implements the representations of "Young America" and "Old Fogyism." These also were sent from Hampton Falls. In the first carriage were most of the agricultural implements now in use,-plows, harrows, ditebers, rakes, seed sowers, hay cut- ters, forks, hoes, etc., all from the establishment of Ruggles, Nourse, Mason & Co., Boston.
On the second carriage were to be seen the old-fashioned flax brake, swingle, and tow comb, the linen wheel, whose hum rejoiced the heart of some gentle damsel in Hampton Falls at least one hundred years ago. lanterns that looked sufficiently ancient considering their semi- translucence to have held a place at the prow of Columbus himself, one indeed having served on the "Constitution," plows of wood, a mor- tar and pestle some four feet high, used anciently in the preparation of samp, a cheese press probably used soon after the ark was evacuated, together with numerous other articles which our fathers used in hus- bandry, and which we may well regard as a curiosity for farmers and their wives at the present time.
At the plowing match the llampton Falls Farmers' Club entered by the side of a Michigan and subsoil plow drawn by their finest Devons, an old-fashioned wooden and wrought iron plow drawn by six of the poorest oxen in town and attended by a plowman, driver, an extra hand to help set in, and another to finish up behind with a hoe, all elad in the costume of '76. The contrast was ludicrous and at the same time instructive. The extra attendants around the old plow were for effeet and not at all necessary, for with all their efforts to make poor work, it refused, and although of harder draft, it did as good work as any plow in the field. "Uncle Billy Brown," who owned the plow, always said it was the best one he ever saw.
We have not a full list of premiums awarded at this fair, but among them Hampton Falls Farmers' Club received second on town team, third on plowing: N. P. Cram. first on Jersey bull; John Weare, second on both two and four-year-old steers; Jeremiah God- frey, on yearling heifer: Charles F. Chase and Rufus C. Sanborn, on swine; Jeremiah Godfrey, on vegetables; Miss Catherine A. Cram, on worsted work: R. C. Sanborn, best crop of corn. 982 bushels to
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HISTORY OF HAMPTON FALLS.
the acre. He also received first on best crop of carrots, 263 bushels on one fourth of an acre; Levi E. Lane, second on carrots, 123 bushels on one eighth of an acre.
In the succeeding fairs held by the Rockingham county society, our people were always well represented and did their full share to promote its success, but were not as prominent as at the two first exhibitions.
Hon. Henry F. French. president of the society, gave some account of the discussions at some of the meetings. At that time chemical manures and superphosphates were unknown. Peruvian guano had just been introduced and sold at about $50 per ton. In speaking of its use he says, "The great question yet remains open whether at the present prices of guano and of crops it can be profit- ably purchased." He then gives a statement made by Rufus C. Sanborn, of Hampton Falls, at one of the meetings. IIe says:
The Hampton Falls Farmers' Club, of which Mr. Sanborn is a mem- ber, has been conducting a course of experiments with the various fertilizers which may be of great value if we can procure them for pub- lication.
Mr. Sanborn's first experiment was with potatoes. He planted them on dry land, on which he had applied sixteen loads of manure plowed in. He put 100 lbs. of Peruvian guano into the hills, on half an acre, leaving the rest with no manure, except what was plowed in. He dug the potatoes in July and sold them at an average of one dollar and fifty cents a bushel. He got just 23 per cent more potatoes where the guano was applied, and they were of better size. His crop was 100 bushels to the acre. The value of the guano and labor of applying was three dollars, and the gain by its use about 121/2 bushels, which sold for $18.75. On another piece of similar land, he applied swamp mnd in the hill, to the whole, and to a part Peruvian guano at the rate of 100 lbs. to the acre. The crop was understood to have been a better one than the first, and to have been 209 bushels to the acre, so that the use of 100 lbs. of guano, worth $3, gave 20 bushels of pota- toes additional, worth about $16. Mr. Sanborn applied 100 lbs. to 34 of an acre, and plowed it in for rye, leaving a part of the piece with no guano. It was out by his men in his absence, and not kept sep- arate. The whole erop was twenty bushels to the acre, which he called a small crop. His opinion is that there was fully double the quantity of straw, and nearly double the amount of grain on the part where the guano was applied. Ile applied 200 lbs. to an aere for barley, part of the piece not guanoed. The part where the guano was used gave a crop of fifty bushels to the acre. So that he got about 121/2 bushels of barley, worth as many dollars, for about $5 invested in guano, to say nothing of the increase of straw. The barley was raised
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last year, and the land laid to grass. There was this year no per- ceptible difference in the erop of grass where the guano was used and where it was not. Mr. Sanborn said that he made the common blunder last year of an overdose of guano on his corn. He applied 500 lbs. to an acre in the hill and burnt up his crop, so that he lost half of it. This year, by no means discouraged, he repeated his exper- iment with corn. He plowed his land with a Michigan plow, sowed on 200 lbs. of Peruvian guano to the acre, plowed it again lightly, say six inches deep, put 100 lbs. in the hill and 200 lbs. more around the hills before the second hoeing, and gathered 9834 bushels of shelled eorn to the aere, as measured by his neighbors, and received the first premium at our county society the present year for his crop. He had no means of knowing how much his crop was increased by the guano, but stated that he had no doubt it added to it very much. The fore- going is perhaps as much guano as is profitable to use at one dose.
There is a great deal going on in the Granite State in the way of agricultural investigation, and nowhere more than in Hampton Falls. Mr. Sanborn, whose statements are given above, is a reliable man, who labors with his own hands and whose object is to make his farming profitable. The testimony of one such man who practices is worth that of two mere professors of agriculture.
We have given the above accounts of the fairs and the prominent part our people took in them to show that our farmers at that time conducted their business intelligently and were well up with the times and were fully as far advanced for the light they had as those at the present time.
At the time these fairs were held, mowing-machines were not used, nor any of the improved labor-saving machinery now in gen- eral use. Nearly all farm work was done by hand. Kerosene oil, which now makes the farmhouse bright and cheerful in the even- ing, at small expense, had not been discovered. There were no agricultural colleges or experiment stations. Chemistry, as applied to agriculture, was not generally understood. The whole subject of special fertilizers has since been developed. No one would think of reclaiming meadow by covering it with gravel. The cost of labor would now make this unprofitable. The cost of labor spent in spe- cials would yield far more profit at the present time. Peruvian guano of the quality and value of that used in those times is now nearly unknown.
TOWN FAIRS.
During the summer of 1894, the Hampton Falls Grange Fair Association was formed for the purpose of making arrangements
19
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HISTORY OF HAMPTON FALLS.
for and holding a town fair, which many had been anxious to do for a number of years, claiming that the town was capable of holding a first-class exhibition. The officers chosen were Warren Brown, president; George F. Merrill, secretary; George C. Brown, treasurer. The first fair was held October 2 and 3. It was held in the town hall with no outdoor show. The entries were very large and consisted of the products of the field, farm, and orchard, poultry, paintings, fancy articles, canned goods, etc. In fact, nearly everything which is ever found in a hall show could be seen. The excellency of the exhibits was noticeable. Good judges were of the opinion that in this respect it exceeded any show they ever had attended; nothing unworthy finding a place.
The show of fruit of all kinds was very large, and in great variety. The names of many varieties were not generally known, which re- sulted from the many kinds introduced by tree agents in the years previous. Many of these varieties were of attractive appearance and seemed of good quality, but would not be profitable for general cul- tivation, because not known in the market, and from this cause be slow of sale, although they might possess considerable merit, or might be undesirable because not productive enough for profit, and from these causes not so desirable to raise as the well-known, pop- ular kinds. Those who considered themselves expert in fruit cul- ture and knowledge of varieties said they saw more varieties they were unable to name than at any other exhibition they had ever attended. The show of fruits, although not as extensive as that of the New Hampshire Horticultural Society, held a few days later at Manchester, was equal in variety and excellence. There was an ex- tensive show of vegetables and potatoes. Most of the new and pop- ular kinds of potatoes were to be found. The show of corn was large and added much to the attractive features of the fair. Large quantities of canned goods were shown and added a great deal to the good appearance of the tables. Needlework and fancy articles, of which there was a large amount, was not the least pleasing fea- ture. The excellence of the whole exhibit showed that our farmers can and do produce a great deal upon their farms worthy of merit, and with a little encouragement are willing to enter into friendly competition with their neighbors in the show of their products, which would be of mutual benefit.
The second fair was held October 1 and 2, 1895. Much greater preparation was made than the year previous and the exhibition was much larger and more complete in all the departments. The
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FAIRS.
tables were arranged so as to give more floor space for visitors. A small outdoor show was arranged for poultry and some other things not desirable to have in the hall. This relieved the hall from any crowded look and added much to its good appearance. When every- thing had been arranged the hall presented a most beautiful appear- ance, which would be hard to equal or excel. The mistakes and omissions of the previous fair were remedied, and as far as possible carefully avoided. The floral exhibiton of W. J. Prescott was large and extensive, adding much to the beauty of the occasion, and was one of the most pleasing features of the fair. Much eredit was due to Mr. Prescott, who was superintendent of the hall, for the decor- ations and tasty arrangment of the articles in the hall, and to Mrs. Prescott, who was secretary, for her untiring efforts to make the whole thing a success.
As at the former fair, the show of fruit, vegetables, and potatoes was large, as were all the other departments. The show of vegeta- bles, garden produce, etc., by J. A. Wilson of Salisbury, Mass., all of which were raised by himself, was large and hard to be excelled. Some exhibits which came from the adjoining towns contributed to the variety and good appearance of the fair. Many good judges considered it one of the best town fairs they ever attended.
N. J. Bachelder, master of the State Grange, was present on the first day, and made an address to those who were there in the evening. The second evening, B. P. Ware, of Marblehead, Mass., and C. W. Woods, president of the Salisbury and Amesbury Agri- cultural Society, were present and made short addresses. Small cash premiums were awarded and paid on the various articles of merit. A diploma, which had been engraved specially for the pur- pose, was in many cases awarded, and by many preferred to a cash award. The attendance was larger than at the former fair, but not as large as the managers would have been pleased to see, or as large as the merits of the fair seemed to have deserved.
SURPLUS REVENUE.
IN 1836, congress made a law transferring $37.468,859.97, called the surplus revenue, to the states. The money came from the sale of public lands. The New Hampshire legislature, at the Novem- ber session, 1836, passed an act authorizing the state treasurer to receive the public funds and give a certificate in behalf of the state that they should be safely kept and repaid when called for. In accordance with the United States law, our state was to receive its share in four regular installments, January 1, April 1, July 1, and October 1, 1837. The first three, amounting to $669,086.79, were paid over, but the state never got the fourth.
The legislature also passed a further act depositing the money with the several towns in the following compound ratio: One half of each town's share, according to the last proportion for the assess- ment of the public taxes, and the other half according to the num- ber of ratable polls in 1836. The towns were to have it when they had voted to take it, and pledged their faith to safely keep and repay it, and had appointed an agent to receive it and execute a certificate of deposit.
The certificate which the town agent was obliged to sign recited, first, that the town had complied with the conditions of the law; second, that they had appointed an agent, and, third, that the state treasurer had paid him the money; and the agent also certified that it had been deposited with the town, and that the town was hereby legally bound, and its faith was solemnly pledged, for the safe- keeping and repayment of the same.
The law obliged the state treasurer to pay over the money on receipt of the certificate from the agent; made the towns account- able for the money, and provided that if they did not pay it on the request of the treasurer he could issue his execution for it and col- lect it of any citizen, who could have contribution from the other citizens.
288
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SURPLUS REVENUE.
It was made unlawful for the town to appropriate or expend this money. If they did, double the amount could be recovered from the town in the action of debt, one half for the county and the other half for the complainant. But the town could loan the money, and appropriate the interest for such objects as they saw fit.
The state treasurer was to give notice when the money could be had by publishing the time, and each town's share, in some news- paper, and if any town did not take the money the treasurer should loan its share and the interest to be for its use and it should be first applied to pay its state tax. The share of unincorporated places should be thus loaned and the interest applied like the literary fund. All of the towns were eager for this money. This town seems not to have received its share at first, for in 1838 we find they received $1,816.32, and a year's interest upon the same, $90.81, amounting to $1,907.13. This money was loaned, and in 1839 it was voted:
That the money received from the state be appropriated to the payment of the public taxes, and that the selectmen be instructed to provide each resident who may be assessed towards the payment of the aforesaid taxes, with an order on the collector for the settlement of the same, what may remain to be kept at interest under the charge of the selectmen.
An effort was made to divide this money pro rata among the polls, as had been done in Portsmouth and some other towns, but that was voted in the negative.
No money appears to have been raised by taxation in 1839, and the surplus revenue money was used to pay the state and county tax and to defray all other town charges.
The receipt from the sales of public lands having fallen off to a great extent, was the reason the fourth installment was never paid. An unsuccessful attempt was made in congress to borrow money for the purpose, but it did not prevail.
No papers are to be found in the office of the secretary of state, or of the state treasurer at Concord, relative to the surplus revenue transactions. This money was not used by many towns as the law directed, and they were liable to be called on to repay the state. To prevent this the state treasurer, Zenas Clement, either hid or destroyed the records. The only record of how much each town received is in the "New Hampshire Patriot." The United States has never called upon the states for the surplus revenue, and prob- ably never will.
PROVINCE RATE AND INVENTORY.
PROVINCE RATE, JUNE, 1709.
WILLIAM BROWN, constable. Order from selectmen. This in- cluded all south of Taylor's river, including what is now Kensing- ton and Seabrook. William Brown lived upon the south road in Kensington.
£
s.
d.
£
s.
d.
Nathaniel Batchelder, Jr
1
11
3
6
6
Benjamin Batchelder.
13
3
1
10
3
Jonathan Batchelder.
3
3
6
9
Benjamin Brown, Sen.
1
6
3
3
3
0
Timothy Blake, Sen
16
2
1
19
9
William Brown
9
9
1
3
6
Benjamin Brown, Jr.
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