ter was to retain ammonia and thus hold it for use as the plant required.

Judge Weeks related experiments to confirm that idea. Remarks were made by Mr. Crawford and others, when Mr. Joseph Kidder of Manchester was called out, and for ten or fifteen minutes presented the principle of "Compensation," or returning to the soil an equivalent for crops removed. He spoke effectually and was loudly applauded.

The thanks of the Board were cordially expressed to the people of Lancaster by Messrs. Adams, Lawrence and Kingsbury, and after a vote of thanks to the Board was passed by the audience, remarks were made by citizens Haywood, Holton and Weeks, when the meeting adjourned.

THE BOARD AT PLYMOUTH.

It was not expected that great interest would be manifested atPlymouth. Though there are good farmers in that vicinity, they are not accustomed to attend meetings of this kind and do not care to attend. A session was held in the afternoon and another in the evening. Mr. Burrows, who showed the Board many courtesies, called the meeting to order and introduced as the Chairman Dr. Mason of Moultonborough, the member from Carroll County. The Secretary explained the work of the Board, and addressed the meeting on the importance of associations for the advancement of agricultural interests, and urged that the farmer make his occupation a study.

THE FARMER'S POSITION.

Col. Clough followed in a defence of the farmer and in the necessity for the cultivator of the soil to take a bold stand for his rights and for position in society.

He thought the cost of labor this year, and the loss of time by rainy days, was an injury to the farmer. Crops were generally good, but they cost more than in some other years and would not sell so high. The burden of taxes was great on the farmer, be-cause his property cannot be kept away from the appraiser. Help was more expensive than formerly, and laborers did less work.

He advised farmers to employ oxen in their farm work rather than horses, for the reason that horses are liable to accident, and when worn out are of no use, while oxen may be made valuable for beef. He urged the culture of corn as the safest crop in good soils. He maintained that the character of the soil should be kept up by manures and stimulants. We can cheat our neighbors if we will, but we cannot cheat the farm.

Mr. Kidder occupied a little time in a line of remarks similar to that employed at Lancaster, regarding the law of compensation.

Col. Towle of Meredith followed, and argued that the farmer's prospects were discouraging under the present high price of labor, the exhaustion from cropping, the cheat in fertilizers, the cost of marketing, taxes, etc. The question has been raised, "What per cent. does capital invested in labor pay?" It don't pay a per cent. says Col. Towle. It barely preserves the capital, too often reduces it. We must devise a way of keeping up our farms. Will grass pay? Let us take that. We can't grow corn, unless the pork of swine will pay for the corn they eat. If so the problem is solved, for with them we can grow corn and save a loss of fertility. Dairying would pay if we had good house help, but we can't get it. Sheep and young cattle sometimes pay, not always. We must employ less hand labor, buy fertilizers that we know are good, and not more than one half are good. He related experiments that he had tried, at some length.

He closed with the remark that he didn't blame the boys for leaving the farm, however hard it was to let them go. The reason was no money was made in it. Show the boy how to make money, and he will stay on the farm. Show him how to make the farm pay and there would be no need of other inducements. Mr. Lawrence followed, deprecating the tone of Col. Towle's remarks. He thought if any one should look upon the paternal acres which the Colonel tilled, his large barns and his magnificent mansion house, look upon his flocks and herds, they would not believe their owner to be in earnest when he talked about the hard time for farmers.

Mr. Lawrence then went on to tell how he had made money in farming, especially in the hay crop.

After brief remarks by others, the afternoon session closed.

EVENING SESSION.

In the evening session Mr. Lawrence presided, and Dr. Mason occupied the first hour in a studied and excellent address on the relations of chemistry to successful farming. It will be found among the addresses published in this volume.

DISCUSSION.

Mr. Charles Lord said it is often suggested we ought always of necessity to supply the immediate substance of plant food to our soil. Certain phenomena in nature would seem to contradict this. Nature supplies elements without the ordinary means. There is no lime in the egg, out of which a chicken with lime in the bones is hatched. The cellular tissue of the body is gelatinous in its structure, yet there is no gelatin in the blood from which it is formed. The people of Holland restored their poor lands without any manure, by simply plowing in crops. Boussingault found a large amount of carbonic acid in a plant grown in silicious sand and azotite of potash; where did the plant derive it? Plants grow in abundance, when farmers cannot grow them successfully, if the soil is let alone. We should study nature in the light of her own processes.

Rev. Mr. Hardy expressed pleasure in being present at these meetings. He thought it the duty of people in Plymouth to form a local farmers' club. He would like to see more inducements for the young in our State to stay at home.

Joseph Burrows, Esq., was struck with the interesting nature of the address of Dr. Mason. We ought to have more science in our farming. He spoke of the later desolation of our old farms. For the young it is easier to follow farming intelligently than to pursue the professions. He did not advise New Hampshire farmers to be wholly special in their tilling.

Mr. T. J. Sanborn, a working farmer of Campton who had sufficient interest to come from his town to the meeting, said,

For the first time in our history the last census shows a decrease in our population compared with previous decades. This is to be regretted in some respects, in others not. It is known and read of all that many farms in our back towns are being abandoned. This is as it should be; they are unfit for the abode of the industrious, they should be abandoned for more congenial localities. But why leave the State? We have abundant water power; if improved in various manufactures all of our population and more

too would find remunerative employment. Let the back farms grow up to wood, and in a short time their value will be doubled and trebled by the increased demand for fuel. There are thousands of acres of swamp land that could be drained and made to produce good crops of hay for all time, and this in time helps manure the upland. The custom of sending money from the State to other States for deposit in savings banks is an injury to the State, we lose the taxes thereon and the use of the money in our own State which should be used in developing our own resources. The practice of getting all our agricultural information from other States should be abandoned. We have a good agricultural paper in the State and let that first be patronized and made still better and then go to other States for more papers if wanted.

In conclusion let all, both the State legislature and each individual, do all in its power to promote our general prosperity, to the promotion of education, temperance and sound morals, and it will be proved that New Hampshire is not only a good State to emigrate from but also a good one to emigrate to.

Col. Clough spoke of the importance of practical work, and suggested that the chemistry and geology of the speaker would not produce good crops without practical knowledge, and went on to show the inability of science to make farming successful.

This called up Mr. Lawrence, who expressed the thought that condemnation of scientific studies came with an ill grace from a trustee of the only scientific institution designed especially for the benefit of the farmer.

The Colonel explained that he wanted both science and practice, which he said the institution of which he had the honor to be a trustee would freely furnish to every one who consented to its discipline.

Mr. Kidder closed the deliberations with a most animated speech. He declaimed forcibly against the idea that labor is not respectable, and insisted that the farmer with his hard hand and The brawny aspect is as much entitled to our regard as any one. impulse we need is a better education of the young. Abolish our present district arrangement of schools, and equalize the chances of every child in the town. Stick to New England; we have more comforts here.

Remarks were made by Messrs. Adams, Lawrence and others, and at a late hour the meeting adjourned.

THE BOARD AT DEERFIELD.

On the 12th of December the Board was represented at Deerfield, by Messrs. Roberts, Lawrence and Adams, accompanied by Mr. Kidder of Manchester, a volunteer in the service.

STATISTICS OF THE TOWN.

Deerfield is one of the most productive farming towns in the State. It has a large area of improved lands, and notwithstanding its hilly surface, its frequent boulders and its hard soil, yields a good annual harvest.

The census reports give the town twenty-two thousand acres of improved land, more than any other town in the large county of Rockingham. The estimated value of its live stock is one hundred and twenty-two thousand dollars. It grows annually three thousand bushels of wheat, ten thousand of corn, three thousand of oats, twenty-five thousand of potatoes, three thousand pounds of wool, twelve thousand dollars in orchard products, four thousand tons of hay, and butter and cheese and other farm products in great abundance.

There has been in the town the usual complaint of scarcity of good labor, lack of farm interest among the young men, a depreciation of real estate, a falling off in pasturage and a tendency to a general decline in agriculture. This is more imaginary than real, as is shown by the products of the soil. Yet there is reason for the Deerfield farmers to anticipate a deficiency in the future, unless measures be taken to employ more intelligent labor and engage in the growing of compensating crops.

With the view of creating new interest, the Deerfield farmers arranged for a meeting of the Board. Mr. Lawrence, the member from Rockingham County, presided, and made an introductory explanation of the object of the Board in holding meetings in various sections of the State, and then introduced Judge Roberts of Strafford County, who read a paper on

THE RENOVATION OF PASTURES.

In brief, Judge Roberts's plan of restoring pastures to their former productiveness was to add from time to time new areas to old pastures, destroy the bushes, especially the juniper, cut off all evergreen or dark-leaved trees, plow and re-seed when practicable,