PROGRESS OF THE SEASONS AT MICHIPICOTEN. 225 



Phenomena illustrative of the Climate of Penetanguishene, 

 on Lake Huron* 



The spring sets in very suddenly. Snow continues until the 

 latter end of April, and longer in the forest than in cleared 

 lands. The weather in March is clear and cloudless, and the 

 ice, which in winter has attained a thickness of sixteen inches, 

 begins to dissolve. Towards the end of the month the sap of 

 the maple flows, and the sugar harvest commences. Flocks of 

 Canada geese and various ducks appear about the same time, 

 and are the harbingers of fine weather. The ice disappears on 

 an average on the 24th of April. Alders and various willows 

 flower about the middle of the month, and the Hepatica triloba 

 blossoms on the 25th. Potatoes are planted between the 1st 

 and 20th of May, and cucumbers and melons are usually sown 

 between the 25th and the end of the month. Viola blanda, 

 Xylosteum, Leontice, Erythronium, and many other plants, 

 blossom in this month ; the forest trees come all into leaf about 

 the 16th, and, about the 19th, the moschetoes begin to be trou- 

 blesome. 



In the month of June the temperature rises to 90° F. in the 

 day, and heavy dews fall in the night. Barley and oats are 

 sown about the 15th, and towards the end of the month garden 

 peas are fully podded, and the male flowers of maize spring up. 

 The Lilium philadelphicum blossoms at this time. 



In July and August the weather is usually dry and sultry. 

 About the beginning of the former month Penstemon pubes- 

 cens, Rhus lyphinum, garden melons, and cucumbers blossom ; 

 and, towards the middle of August, melons grown without 

 artificial warmth are ripe, and the wheat and oat harvest com- 

 mences. Maize is fit for pulling about the end of the month. 



In September numerous flocks of Tardus migratorius and 

 other birds arrive from the north, and remain for a time feed- 

 ing on the berries of various rasp bushes. Maize ripens about 

 the first of the month, and near its end frost destroys the 



* By the late C. C. Todd, Esq., Surgeon, R. N. 

 VOL. II. Q 



