THE SEASONS IN MAINE. 



changes are constantly occurring here, the effect, in part, of our sea winds. Again refer 

 ring to our venerable Annalist, he says; " 1770, May 5, English cherries begin to blow." 

 " 1771, May 6, the spring is thought to be very forward: May 20, the Heart cherries are 

 all in blossom." Now note how little our feelings and resolutions are to be relied on in 

 these matters; in 17G8, he says tlie spring was unusually backward, and yet the cherry 

 and damson trees began to blow May 21; while in 1771, he says the spring is thought to 

 be very forward, and yet the heart cherries blossomed but one day sooner; and so in 1773, 

 hesaj'S, " May 1, the spring is thought to be a month forwarder than usual," and adds, 

 May 12, the Heart cherry and pear trees in blow, and the common cherry and plum trees 

 just upon it. June 15, strawberries plenty." This is at least half a month earlier than 

 the ordinary time for strawberries here at the present day. " 1776, May 8, the ground 

 has frozen for three nights back;" and yet he says in June, "hot summer; and in Sep- 

 tember, "a great product of Indian corn." Another of the seasons that greivously dis- 

 appoint croakers, occurred in 1777. Mr. Smith says, " May 15, it is agreed to be the 

 coldest weather, and most backward spring that ever was. June 30, cold, very cold, 

 nothing ever like it through the whole spring, and yet everything is flourishing, perhaps 

 never more so." And to crown all, he adds, Sept. 2, " the earth is burdened with its 

 fruits." What an encouragement is this to a cheerful trust in Providence, who doeth all 

 things well; and what a stern rebuke to the everlasting spirit of fault-finding, which goes 

 on from year to year, in the face of the most cheering facts and results, grumbling and 

 fretting, and vexing itself, until it falls into an untimely grave, never bearing the blossoms 

 and fruit buds of a cheerful and confiding trust in a Being that has assured us that seed 

 time and harvest shall not ftul. " I pity the man who can travel from Dan to Beersheba, 

 and cry all is barren." 



A few more extracts, that we may follow down the scries of years, and confirm the po- 

 sition assumed, of the remarkable uniformity of the seasons. •' 1779, May 18, the cher- 

 ries and plums begin to blow. June 23, at the best." " 1785, May 19, the spring is 

 backward, cold and wet; 30, a hot da}"^, which causes the cherry and plum trees to begin 

 to blossom." Now see the result of the backward spring. " Jul}' 31, everything is very 

 flourishing, never a better prospect. August 20, happy season." 



We have thus run through Mr. Smith's diary of the seasons, dipping here and there, 

 to give a taste of its qualit}', " dulies est dissifcre in loco." Dr. Deank's journal in- 

 creases the evidence, from which we will add a few notices, although, as the lawyers say, 

 the evidence is merely accumulative. " 1798, May 10, pear and plum trees full of blos- 

 soms; 22, apple in full blossom." " 1803, pear blossomed May 21, apple !May 26." Ano- 

 ther journal adds, "1810, May 14, pear and plum trees blossomed." 1816, May 21 

 pear trees, currants, and gooseberries are in blow." 



Now, passing over the intermediate years, which flow on with a current little varying 

 from the past, we come to the present time, for the purpose of exhibiting the comparison, 

 and will put the facts in the form of a table, showing the period of blossoming of the trees 

 and vines therein mentioned. 



Year. Strawberry. Cherry. Peach. Plum. Pear. 



J848, May 6 May 13 May 19 May 18 May 16 



1849, do 13 do 19 do 19 do 20 do 21 



1851, do 13 do 16 do 17 do IS do 17 



1852, do 15 do IS do 19 do IS do 20 



This year, the four days of May, sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth, the weather was re 

 markably warm. The mercury rose on the 6th, to 77° — on the 7th, to 83° — 8th, to 80 



