Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XII.djvu/306

 294 NEW HAMPSHIRE being somewhat colder than that of Maine, but more steady. Difference of elevation within the state causes great difference in the degree of temperature; so much even as 20 to 25 between the valleys and the more elevated positions. In summer the heat sometimes rises to 100, and in winter the cold has been known to freeze the mercury in the ther- mometer. In the neighborhood of the White mountains the winters are excessively cold, and the peaks are covered more or less with snow eight months in the year, from which circumstance their name has been derived. The Mt. Washington expedition in the winter of 1870-'71 showed that the weather at the altitude of 6,300 ft. is characterized by violent winds, whose velocity rose as high as 130 m. an hour, by more abundant precipitation of moisture than the low country, and a much lower average temperature; there was a fall of 55 inches for the year, against 46 at New- found lake, the region of greatest rainfall elsewhere in the state. The Merrimack valley below Concord is the warmest part of the state ; and the abundant waterfalls here have caused the growth of the manufacturing towns of Manchester, Nashua, Suncook, and Hook- sett. All parts of New Hampshire are exceed- ingly healthful, and cases of remarkable lon- gevity are very numerous. The cold weather begins about the last of October and con- tinues till May; and from the latter part of November till the opening of spring the whole country is usually covered with snow, and the rivers are frozen. The natural productions include the oak, pine, hemlock, ash, spruce, beech, birch, and other trees, which are largely exported in the shape of lumber. The sugar maple is abundant. The native animals, though scarce, are not yet exterminated ; wolves, bears, and other wild beasts are still found in the N. part of the state, and occasionally commit dep- redations on the farms. Wild fowl and game are abundant, and both lakes and rivers are stocked with fish. The farm lands of New Hampshire in 1870 comprised 2,334,487 acres of improved and 1,271,507 of unimproved land, including 1,047,090 acres of woodland. The total number of farms was 29,642, of which 1,376 comprised from 3 to 10 acres, 2,064 from 10 to'20, 7,194 from 20 to 50, 10,107 from 50 to 100, 8,804 from 100 to 500, 75 from 500 to 1,000, and 6 over 1,000. The average size of farms was 169 acres ; percentage of improved to total land in farms, 68'8. The cash value of farms was $80,589,313 ; of farming implements and machinery, $3,459,943; total amount of wages paid during the year, including value of board, $2,319,164; total estimated value of all farm productions, including betterments and additions to stock, $22,473,547; orchard pro- ducts, $743,552 ; produce of market gardens, $119,997; forest products, $1,743,944; home manufactures, $234,062 ; value of animals slaughtered or sold for slaughter, $3,720,243. The chief productions were 189,222 bushels of winter and 4,399 of spring wheat, 47,420 of rye, 1,277,768 of Indian corn, 1,146,451 of oats, 105,822 of barley, 100,034 of buckwheat, 58,375 of peas and beans, '4,515,579 of potatoes, 612,648 tons of hay, 155,334 Ibs. of tobacco, 1,129,442 of wool, 5,965,080 of butter, 849,118 of cheese, 99,469 of hops, 1,800,704 of maple sugar, 56,944 of honey, 2,668 of wax, 2,446 gallons of wine, 2,352,884 of milk sold, and 16,884 of maple molasses. The total value of all live stock on farms was $15,246,545. There were 39,095 horses, 90,583 milch cows, 40,513 working oxen, 91,705 other cattle, 248,760 sheep, and 33,127 swine. Besides these there were 4,240 horses and 13,368 neat cattle not on farms. New Hampshire ranks high as a manufacturing state, and is especially noted for the extent of its textile industries. According to the census of 1870, only Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Pennsylvania ranked above New Hampshire in the value of cotton goods produced. In the 36 cotton mills of this state were 19,091 looms and 447,795 frame and 302,048 mule spindles. The principal products of the 41,469,719 Ibs. of cotton used were 89,326,701 yards of sheetings, shirtings, and twilled goods, 75,000 of lawns and fine muslins, 40,843,969 of print cloth, 442,696 of flannel, 1,845,199 of ginghams and checks, 5,260,000 of cassimeres, cottonades, and jeans, 237,026 Ibs. of bats, wicking, and wadding, 28,300 of cordage, lines, and twines, and 1,595,700 seam- less bags. The 156 woollen mills had 351 sets of cards, with a daily capacity in carded wool of 41,550 Ibs., 909 broad and 699 narrow looms, and 117,057 spindles. The materials used com- prised 1,079,120 Ibs. of cotton, 1,380,000 of shoddy, and 8,785,882 of domestic and 793,433 of foreign wool. Among the products were 184,800 pairs of blankets, 2,481,416 yards of cassimeres and doeskins, 184,200 of felted cloth, 13,141,565 of flannels, 75,000 of frock- ing, 1,001,000 of kerseys, 720,507 of satinets, 32,000 of tweeds and twills, 110,075 Ibs. of rolls, and 485,600 of yarn. In the production of worsted goods, the state ranked after Massa- chusetts, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island, and after those states and New Jersey in the pro- duction of printed goods. In 1870 the pro- ducts of mining were valued at $323,805, in- cluding stone worth $309,720, silver quartz $10,000, lead $3,000, and zinc $1,085. Other important industries are the production of boots and shoes, hosiery, lumber, starch, and wood- en ware. The total number of manufactur- ing establishments reported by the census of 1870 was 3,342, using 280 steam engines of 8,787 horse power, and 2,312 water wheels of 68,291 horse power, and employing 40,783 hands, of whom 25,829 were males above 16 years of age, 12,775 females above 15, and 2,179 youth. The total amount of capital employed was $36,023,743; wages paid, $13,823,091; value of materials used, $44,577,967; of pro- ducts, $71,038,249. The chief industries are shown by the following statement :