“ The manufacturing interests accordingly are confined largely to this section of the State. The manufacture of cotton goods headed all industries until 1900. From its establishment in 1804 its growth has been steady. The water power of the Merrimac was largely the cause of the success of this industry, and determined the location of the two main cotton manufacturing centres—Manchester and Nashua. With the development of this industry in the Southern States latterly, the relative importance of New Hampshire is diminishing. ”

“ Manufacturing is the leading industry. The percentage of wage-earners engaged therein gradually increased during the last half of the nineteenth century, being 17.1 in 1900, or twice that of 1850. Of the 70,419 thus employed, 21,921 were women. The decade 1890-1900 witnessed the largest absolute gain in the value of products—$118,009,308 in 1900. The southern part of the State possesses the advantage of being close to the business centre of New England, has a convenient harbor at Portsmouth, and shares with Massachusetts the excellent water power afforded by the Merrimac. ”

“ But there is an extensive area of second-growth white pine, some of which is merchantable. It is estimated that since 1850 1,764,609 acres (nearly one-third) of the farm land has reverted to unimproved land, most of which is growing up in white pine. The highest mountain slopes are still covered with primeval forests of spruce, the variety of wood most largely used in the manufacture of wood-pulp. The town of Berlin, in the Androscoggin Valley, claims to be the largest pulp-manufacturing centre in the country. The manufacture of this product increased 462 per cent. ”

“ The climate is quite humid, and the precipitation sufficient all over the State. It is especially abundant on the mountain summits, where it reaches 55 inches, and on the eastern slope of the mountains, where it ranges from 40 to 40 inches. ”

“ The climate is strongly affected by the elevation of the land. It is colder, on the average, than that of Maine, and the winters are severe, the ground being usually snow-covered and the rivers frozen from autumn to spring. The lower Merrimac Valley is the warmest part of the State. ”

“ Most judicial officers, including the Attorney-General, coroners, and registers of probate, are appointed by the Governor. Judicial officers serve during good behavior, except justices of the peace, whose terms expire in five years. ”

“ Its extreme length is 178 miles, its extreme width 88 miles, and its area 9305 square miles, of which 9005 square miles, or 5,763,200 acres are land surface. It ranks fortieth in size among the United States. ”