THE SEASONS IN MAINE. 



to brick walls facing south-east and south-west, in the open air. My Osage Orange hedge 

 does not appear to have suifered in the least, and is now putting out its buds. I planted 

 the seeds of this hedge in the spring of 1849, and it is now in a flourishing condition; 

 about six inches of the extremities is killed every winter, but the growth exceeds this 

 every season, and it is now more than three feet high, thick, and well set. A plant of the 

 "Weigela Rosea, which I set out last spring, did not suffer in the least, although it was un- 

 protected, except about the roots; it is now alive, and pushing out its foliage, even to the 

 extremities. Nor did the peach tree suffer; I have one now full of blossoms, and promis- 

 ing well, and also an Apricot, although we make no calculation on either of these kinds 

 of fruit, seldom having any ripen here; owing asmuch, perhaps, to our vicinity to thesea, 

 and the prevalence of sea winds during the summer, as to our latitude. We are more 

 than half the compass open to the sea, from the north-east to the south-west, and the sea 

 winds come in from the south nearly every day of summer, except when it is varied by 

 the still cooler breeze of the east. "We do not here exclaim with the poet, " 0, for a bee- 

 ker full of the warm south, the true, the blissful hypocrene." Our warmest wind in 

 spring and summer is the due west. 



I have been surprised, and perhaps it will surprise you, to perceive, on a comparison of 

 the seasons for a century and a quarter back, which I am able to do from the journals of 

 our two earliest clergymen. Smith and Deane, the great regularity and uniformity which 

 have attended the opening and blossoming season of the year. Deane, our venerable 

 pastor for fifty years, Avas the author of the first work on agriculture published in this 

 country, styled " The New-England Farmer, or Georgical Dictionary," published in 1790; 

 a new edition of which, with modern improvement, was issued a few years ago, under the 

 supervision of Mr. Fessenden, editor of the "New-England Farmer," an able and po- 

 pular periodical. 



It is a common impression that the seasons have undergone some change within the past 

 century — and that whether from improved cultivation, or change in climate, or other un- 

 definable cause, they are earlier now, and more genial than formerly. This is a mistake; 

 for by recurrence to our ancient records, we do not find that tlie pear, the plum, or the 

 cherry put forth their beautiful blossoms any earlier, or any different among us now, than 

 they did when our city was but a poor fishing village, straggling along on the margin of 

 Casco river on one side, and skirted by the forest on the other. The progress of wealth 

 and refinement have had no effect on them. 



In 1726, April 27, the venerable Smith remarks, " people generally planting; this month 

 has been wet and uncomfortable; 'tis generally thought in these parts to be a backward 

 spring. May 20, the peach and apple trees but now begin to blossom." " 1751, May 8, 

 our English cherries did but to-day begin to bloom. 17, they are now in all their gayety 

 of bloom." " 1756, May 11, our Heart cherry trees, pear and plums, are blossoming. 

 19, they are all in their bloom." " July 18, we have had the greatest abundance of cher- 

 ries that ever we had, perhaps twenty or thirty bushels." " 1759, May 16, the cherry 

 trees are blooming." " 1760, May 10, the Heart cherry trees begin to blossom, earlier 

 than last year, and then earlier than usual." " 1764, May 25, the cherry trees are in full 

 bloom." "1765, May 14, the cherry blows." " 1766, May 16, our cherry trees begin 

 to blossom." " 1767, May 22, the Heart cherries are in blow." " 1768, May 13, cold 

 still, and the spring unusually backward. 21, thermometer up to 76"; but P. M. sunk 

 20 degrees; the cherry and damson trees begin to blow." It is a little remarkable, that 



1849, on the same day, 70 years afterwards, the mercury in the morning stood at 

 fell before seven in the evening, to 46", showing a remarkable coincidence 



