of which some four hundred or five hundred gallons are annually produced. He raises annually from a ton to a ton and a half of pork for market, believing it to be far preferable to the purchase of commercial fertilizers.

Mr. Gould has a natural taste for fruit culture, and, his soil being peculiarly adapted to the thrifty growth of the apple, he has taken pains to graft to the best varieties all appletrees springing up on the place, and has set many more, so that he has now on his farm over 1,000 grafted apple-trees. Many of these have not come into full bearing as yet, though his average product is from one hundred and fifty to four hundred barrels, which will be largely increased in a few years, the Baldwin being the leading variety. He has also about one hundred and twenty-five plumand as many pear-trees, and many bushels of these choice fruits are also marketed in bearing years.

Although with characteristic modesty refraining from any active demonstration in the political field, Mr. Gould, who is a Republican, is interested in public affairs, and has served four years as a member of the board of selectmen, and was a representative from Newport in the legislature of 1889, serving as a member of the finance committee and taking an active interest in all matters of importance coming before the house. He is liberal in his religious convictions; is a member of Sugar River lodge, No. 55, I. O. O. F., and also of Sullivan grange, No. 8, of Newport, of which organization he has been several years treasurer. He is one of the trustees of the Newport Savings bank.

Mr. Gould married Sarah Jane Ayers, of Cornish, December 15, 1861, who died October 6, 1864, leaving one son, who also died at the age of five years. February 3, 1866, he was united with his present wife, Miss Orpha A. Honey, of Lempster, by whom he has one daughter, Mary Alice, born June 1, 1886, while two sons died in infancy.

PHILIP C. CLOUGH, CANTERBURY.

A prominent representative of the well-known Clough family of Canterbury is Philip Carrigan, son of Thomas and Hannah (Hazeltine) Clough, born February 19, 1835, upon the old homestead, now in his possession, and originally owned by his grandfather, Obadiah Clough, where he has ever had his home. Mr. Clough was educated in the district schools and at New Hampton Institution, and has devoted his life to agricultural pursuits, studying the best methods and doing thoroughly whatever he undertakes. The home farm, upon which is a substantial set of buildings, contains about 125 acres. In addition to this, he has about 200 acres more, in two other localities in town, mostly wood and pasture, one lot being the old Hazeltine place, formerly occupied by his mother's family. About 50 acres of his home farm are in mowing and tillage, and are thoroughly cultivated. In former years, wool growing was a specialty on this farm, from 125 to 150 fine sheep being kept for this purpose; but of late dairying has been a leading feature, and of the 25 head of cattle usually kept, about 15 are milch cows, whose production is carried to the creamery, a stock company which Mr. Clough was largely

interested in establishing, and the cream sold to H. P. Hood & Sons of Derry. The hay product is supplemented for feeding purposes by ensilage, for which about five acres of Northern corn are usually raised, and cut into the silo, ears and all, at the proper time. Three horses are also

kept on the place.

The stock kept is mostly of the Holstein breed, and includes some

Philip C. Clough.

superior animals. Mr. Clough has been a successful exhibitor at the fairs, and at the last state exhibition, at Tilton, won a first prize on bull, and also on milch cow. A good amount of fruit is produced, and in bearing years several hundred barrels of apples are sold. Mr. Clough also buys apples quite extensively for the market, and owns a half interest in the Canterbury Store Co.; and here it may be said that he has also for

many years sold agricultural implements of various kinds, being the agent of the well-known Boston firm of George Tyler & Co. Believing in the best tools of all kinds for his own use, he has thus been instrumental in furnishing superior implements to others.

Mr. Clough married, August 30, 1866, Mary E. Batchelder, daughter of Eleazer Batchelder, of Canterbury. Two children were born to them, but both died in infancy. About fifteen years ago they took to their home two children, Katie and Henry Gleason-giving them a good, practical education at the town school and Tilton Seminary. Katie is now engaged in teaching, while Henry is still at home caring for the interests of the farm.

Mr. Clough is a member of the Congregational church, and in politics, Republican. He has been several times a member of the board of selectmen in Canterbury, and two years chairman, and in November, 1896, was chosen representative to the legislature by seventy-eight majority, though the town has ordinarily been Democratic. He is a member of Doric lodge, F. & A. M., of Tilton; was a charter member of Merrimack River grange, of Canterbury, of which he has been master, and a charter member and first steward of Merrimack County Pomona grange. was an active promoter of the Grange State fair, and has been superintendent of different departments and a member of the executive committee. He is also president of the Canterbury & Boscawen Telephone company.

OT far from my home is a field bordering the highway, which contains something quite entertaining to me, and which may not be wholly without, interest to the readers of the GRANITE MONTHLY.

The field, on the side opposite the road, is joined by a large meadow from which it is separated by a fringe of alders and white birches. This meadow is a favorite haunt of the bittern, and in the morning and evening hours his loud booming cries awake the echoes. Here among the Here among the wild meadow grass and sedge, the lovely begonia blooms in profusion through the summer months, and the red-winged blackbird scolds from the tops of the alder thickets. On the other edge of the field, near the road, is a row of large sugar maples throwing, in summer, a cool, delightful shade for the dusty traveler, and one giant elm reaching out his proud branches, eighty feet or more above the earth, and seeming to draw haughtily aloof from the more humble trees at his side.

But it is not the maples and their neighbor, the elm, that I purpose to talk about in this sketch, neither is it the meadow, but a den of snakes. Years ago, there was an old farmhouse with its accompanying barn in this field; but long ago they were moved away, and the cellar was filled

up with rocks and dirt. Beneath the elm is the old well; but this, like the cellar, is filled up with rocks and covered over with dirt. This well is my snake den. Here they stay through the winter. Black snakes, striped snakes, green snakes, wood snakes, and adders; snakes, long, short, big, and little, live together among the rocks in the old well for nearly six months in the year.

They do not come out until the latter part of April; for the heat cannot reach them very early in their underground home. After the ground has been thoroughly warmed and the sun is shining bright, some warm day near the close of April or the first of May, I have seen three black heads sticking out of the ground from one hole. Go near them, and all disappear.

More commonly, one will appear at a time. First, with his nose just in sight he may lay all day, if not disturbed, not rising above the level of the ground. Next day, he is bolder and stays for hours, rising about six inches from the mouth of the hole, looking like a dried stick from the tree above him. Approach nearer, and the head sways slightly and he backs out of sight. But you cannot keep them long in the den after the warm days of summer have actually commenced. He will sneak out when you are not looking and escape.

The adder does not come out in the manner of the black snake. He may lay for a day or two with his nose just visible, in order to get warmed up, but when he gets ready to come out he does so without any reconnoitering. I have never seen an adder's head raised above the ground when they are ready to come out. In this den, the black snakes predominate, there probably being half a dozen of these to one of any other kind. Adders come next on the list, and last, a few striped, green, and wood snakes. These are smaller than their neighbors and quicker, darting back into the hole very suddenly when you approach. I have seldom been able to capture any of these, but nearly every spring I get some black ones and a few adders. The longest snake captured from this den was a black one five feet, four inches long. They will probably average about four feet.

I have never seen as many snakes here since as there were the first spring the den was discovered. Perhaps it is because I do not watch them as closely as I did then, but I do not think as many winter here now. I was quite young when we

found these snake holes one day by accident, and not having much else to do, I watched the place very closely and killed a large number before they were warm and nimble enough to escape, for at first they are numb and stupid. Sometimes, impatient at the slow motions of some old fellow who did not seem inclined to show more than a few inches of his head and neck, I would creep as near as possible, unobserved by keeping behind the old elm, then, by making a quick rush, I would be able to seize him by the neck before he could back into the ground. Even then, they would resist so firmly as sometimes to allow themselves to be pulled in two pieces, rather than let go their hold from the rocks below. I have never seen a snake lingering around here in the fall, but they know some way how to find the den, for since the first spring the number has not seemed to diminish, and each spring after the snow has all disappeared and the surface of the ground is warm and dry, I expect to see a black head sticking out of the old well under the elm.