DOMESTIC NOTICES. 



99 



to defy the bugr.. when I remoTed the boxes, and 

 thev were immediately attacked again, and I was 

 oblised to replace the boxes. I have tried this for 

 several years, and can safely recommend it as a 

 perfect protection. 



In this section onions are suffering from maggots 

 or a small while worm that is found in the bulb of 

 the voung onion which destroys them. We have 

 been troubled in this way for the last three years. 

 Can anv of vour subscribers tell us of a remedy. 

 John W'. Bailey. Ptatt^burgh, July 11th, 1850. 



The Stobm of July 5th. — The atmosphere 

 2ave but slight indications of rain until five o'clock 

 P. M., when a dark cloud arose slowly from the 

 N. W., attended with thunder. After rising 

 something like 30°, the progress of this cloud 

 seemed to be to the north and east, until it spread 

 over the northern sky to about 20° of the zenith. 

 In this position, and at about 8 o'clock, it began 

 to appear somewhat broken by seams, running 

 from east to west and from X. W. to S. E. Dur- 

 ing the time this cloud was gathering, and ex- 

 tending itself over the northern skv, another rose 

 in the west, and for a while passed south, mainly 

 hanging south and west. From this cloud bril- 

 liant sheets of lightning were issuins. and passins 

 southwesterly from TJ o'clock until the clr^uds 

 united at ^ past nine, while, during the interval, 

 occasional chains of the fluid, with almost fright- 

 ful glare, passed off in the same direction. 



At eight o'clock, it was evident that these two 

 clouds were making a proximity, and their union, 

 it was presaged, would result in a powerful 

 storm. As they approached, the voice of the 

 thunder was less frequent than when the clouds 

 first issued from their birthplace in the western 

 sky; but the lightning in the north, like that in 

 the south, was vivid and grand beyond our de- 

 scription. Broad sheets following each other from ; 

 east to west, in so rapid succession as to keep the 

 sky and the earth illuminated, with an occasional 

 chain. — glowing with the heat of a furnace, — de- 

 scribing the serpent's crooked path, and spittinjr 

 fire in its rapid descent, passed off to the north 

 of the valley, as if to vent its spite on the rugsed 

 hills that surround it. 



A few minutes after nine, a breeze sprung up 

 from the northwest, which brought the clouds to 

 a speedy union. And as the nuptials of the storm ' 

 were celebrating in mid-heaven, the lamps which 

 had illuminated the pathway of the movins clouds, 

 one after another rapidly went out. and then, the 

 thunder spake the nuptial ceremony with sublime 

 and fearful voice, rolling in its majesty from south 

 to north through the whole extent of the thickly 

 veiled canopy. Alternate flashes preceded each 

 impressive sentence, with light so brilliant that, 

 at one moment, every object of earth, within 

 range of vision, was as visible as though the full 

 glare of the noonda\- sun-beam fell upon them, and 

 the next they were shrouded in darkness so deep I 



that no mortal eye could penetrate it. The wind 

 had passed away, and all was settled into the 

 calm of a summer evening now, when these fire- 

 works of the skies, which threw so contemptibly 

 into the shade all efforts of imitation which hu- 

 man invention had designed, and human industry 

 executed only one brief day before, to the aston- 

 ishment and admiration of wondering multitudes, 

 were giving their most noble and impressive af- 

 terpieces. Ah, how frail is man, in his most 

 mighty creations, and how deficient is art, in her 

 most noble triumphs, when placed in comparison 

 with nature, drawn out by natures God ! The 

 evening previous, thousands had left their quiet 

 homes, to minule in the inconveniences of the 

 crowd, to see the short lived rocket shoot through 

 the air, and witness other feats of art, both beau- 

 tiful and brilliant. But who saw these illuminate 

 the mountain, spread out the landscape in all the 

 perfection of noonday, and r^eal the colour of the 

 sleeping flower, as nature did when the storm was 

 hanging over it ? And what was that cannon's 

 booming, momentary voice, compared with the 

 hoarse angry roar of the thunder, as it went bel- 

 lowing throuah the sky? Yet, of the thousands 

 who went away to witness the one, how few saw 

 anvthins but gloom, and sadness, and fear in the 

 other, while in the safety and quiet of their own 

 homes. Oh, how long will the propensities of 

 mortals be such that the inferior, dear-bought, 

 and far fetched, will be preferred to the sublime, 

 the beautiful, and home-born, that lie strewn 

 around their every-day paths ! 



But to the storm. As may be supposed, so 

 dark a cloud, and so much lightning, and con- 

 siderable thunder, could not pass away without 

 some rain. When we saw the two ciouds ap- 

 proaching each other, and making a gathering 

 point over us, we anticipated a deluge. Xor in 

 this were we mistaken. It began to rain slightly 

 about 9 o'clock, but soon ceased, to commence in 

 earnest at half past ten, and continue until four 

 the next morning — the most of the time falling in 

 torrents, which deluged the fields, raised the 

 streams to overflowing, and washed the roads to 

 an extent which has not been before witnessed for 

 vears; and all this without much effect in cooling 

 or purifyins the atmosphere. Yours truly, W. 

 Bacon. Richmond, Mass., July, 1850. 



A Visit to the CorxTRY Seat of J. W, 

 Whitney. Esq. — His country establishment is 

 situated three miles north of the city of Rochester, 

 on the Rochester and Charlotte plank road, lead- 

 ing to Lake Ontario and the mouth of the Gene- 

 see river. 



It was the season for cherries and strawberries, 

 and we found rich collections of both, including 

 all the newest varieties. Mr W. has turned his 

 attention to the cultivation of fruits on an exten- 

 sive scale. His peach orchard covers many acres. 

 The trees appear luxuriant and fruitful. He has 



