NOTES ON THE VALLEY OF LAKE CHAMPLAIN. 



511 



am indebted to the Rev. Z. Thompson, 

 whose Natural, Civil and Statistical History 

 of the State justly places hitn at the head 

 of State historians. The observations were 

 made at his residence, one mile from, and 

 256 feet above the lake, near the University 

 of Vermont, at Burlington. 



We plant seeds in hot beds from 1st to 

 10th April ; peas, onions, beets, &c. from 

 20th April to 1st May ; melons, cucumbers, 

 &c., in boxes covei'ed with glass, at same 

 time ; annual flower seeds 10th to 20lh 

 May ; winter vegetables generally 20th 

 May to 1st June. Early peas are picked 

 about 20th June ; green corn the last week 

 in July j French reinette or early harvest 

 apples commence ripening 1st August. 



By this it may be seen that our climate is 

 more uniform, and not as cold as most places 

 in the same latitude. I have no means at 

 hand for making a comparison with Albany, 

 but think the range of the thermometer is 

 there greater, and that more snow falls in 

 Albany than in this valley. We rarely.^uf- 

 fer from spring frosts, and but once in more 

 than 20 years (May 15, 1S34) have currants 

 been injured bv it. Severe drouth is never 

 known, and in the northern part of the val- 

 ley, after passing the Adirondack chain of 

 mountains, the farmer is sure of good crops 

 of grass with little or no injury from dry 

 weather. 



All the native grapes of New-England 

 flourish — require no protection in winter, 

 and ripen well. The Isabella and White 

 Sweet-water grapes require slight protec- 

 tion, but generally ripen. The Catawba 

 requires no protection, but seldom ripens well 

 without the aid of glass. Antwerp rasp- 

 berries require no protection, and the shoots 

 are never " winter-killed." Good peaches 

 are sometimes grown, but they are too un- 

 certain to be worth cultivating, except on 

 walls. Little attention has been given to 



quinces : some are now growing with fair 

 prospect of success. Cherries and plums 

 grow in great perfection ; our only enemies 

 to them are the curculio, birds and boys. 

 Most of the first settlers planted seedling 

 pear trees, about 60 years since, which are 

 uniformly vigorous and healthy, and some 

 valuable varieties have been produced. 

 New varieties from abroad have not been 

 sufficiently tested to speak of them, ex- 

 cept in general terms. The White Doyenne 

 (St. Michaels,) Seckel, Dearborn's Seedling, 

 Bartlett, St. Germain, and many others 

 grow in great perjection, and most others in 

 course of cultivation promise well. 



In no part of the world are better apples 

 produced, than in this valley. They are 

 greatly superior to those grown near the 

 sea-coast, for high flavor and tenderness. 

 Bostonians, resident here, give them a de- 

 cided preference to any grown in that vi- 

 cinity, and when a Bostonian acknowledges 

 any thing equal to what he finds in the 

 " City of Notions," it is greater praise than 

 for a genuine John Bull to acknowledge any 

 thing good out of Old England. 



Most of the old varieties cultivated in 

 New-England, and many others, are com- 

 mon here ; also, many valuable native sorts. 

 That coquettish apple, the Newtown Pippm, 

 in some situations grows well, good size, 

 fair and perfect, while in others it is spot- 

 ted and inferior. As a whole it is not as 

 profitable for general cultivation as apples 

 that are natives of New-England, Canada 

 or Europe. 



No part of the United States has a more 

 healthy climate. At the University of Ver- 

 mont, at Burlington, there has been but one 

 death among the students since I have been 

 a resident of Burlington, (20 years,) and 

 that of a contagious disease, in the spring 

 of 1S42, The average number of students 

 is 100. 



