,-' 



154 BOAED OF AGRICULTURE. 



repay sucli artificial facilities. If Duliamel is riglit in his 

 unqualified assertion, that fruit raised on standard trees is 

 decidedly better tlian the same fruit raised in any other way, 

 and his authority on the subject of fruit trees is of the hiuhest 

 order, the fruit of this country must surpass that of England in 

 flavor as well as in abundance. Such seems to be the fact, so 

 far as specimens of the fruits of the two countries hare been 

 compared, (though it must be admitted that such comparisons 

 have not been very numerous or thorough,) and such is certain- 

 ly a probable inference, if we admit the position, to say the 

 least a plausible one, that the juices of all vegetable products 

 derive their highest flavor from the rays of the sun. 



2. The temperature of the winter in every part of England is 

 unquestionably much higher than in Massachusetts. With some 

 very rare exceptions, i. e. — about once in a generation, the zero 

 of Fahrenheit may be considered as the minimum of the ther- 

 mometer at London. In the year 1830, which seems to have 

 been considered at that place as an average year, the mean 

 temperature of the following months was : — 



January, . . 31.75 February, . . 36. G 

 March, . . . 48.33 December, . . 35.49 



The average temperature of the same months for forty-three 

 years at Salem, Massachusetts, deduced by Dr. Hale from Dr. 

 Holyoke's Observations, (Transactions Am. Academy, Yol. 1, 

 New Scries,) was as follows : — 



January, . . 25.59 February, . . 27.75 

 March, . . . 35.38 December, . . 30.29 



Thus we perceive that near London, the temperature of the 

 coldest month of the year is barely below the freezing point. 

 Accordingly, we learn that in England proper, the ground is 

 often sufficiently open for ploughing during the whole year, an 

 operation very rarely practicaljle in the vicinity of Boston 

 during any portion of the months of January or February. Aa 

 the year advances tliis difi'erence of temperature in favor of 

 England disappears, and in the month of May the average heat 

 of the weather in the environs of London and of Boston, is nearly 



