273 



26tli, thin ice over standing water. 2Sth, first apple blossoms ; the prospect 

 for apples is very good. 29th, frost. 



Marengo, IJIhiois. — April 6. — Commenced ploughing, which is fourteen days 

 later than in 1S65, seven days later than in ]S64, and one montli later than in 

 1860. 22d, light frost. 26th, heavy frost ; ice thick as window glass. 



Aifgusta, Illinois. — April 5. — Gooseberry leafing out. 21st, plum, pear, and 

 cherry in blossom. 



Manchester, Illinois. — April 3. — Thunder about 8 p. m. from the west. 14th, 

 thunder during last night from north to west from 10 p. m. to 1 a. m. 23d, 

 thunder from northwest, with rain and hail, about 5 p. m. 



Galeshurg, Illinois. — The month has been cold and backward. 30th, fruit 

 trees are now coming into blossom. 



Rile)/, Tllinou. — April has been seven-eighths of a degree warmer than the 

 mean of twelve years, yet the season is cold and backward ; about two weeks 

 latu- than usual. There has been over an inch less rain than the mean of eleven 

 years. 



TisJcihva, llUnois. — April 30 — Fruit trees were dug in the nursery the 9th 

 of this month on ground sloping to the south ; frost not out so as to dig where 

 it slopes a little to the north. This was the shortest season for selling trees the 

 observer has known during the fifteen years he has been in the business. The 

 spring was very cool and late until about the middle of April, when it turned, 

 very warm and everything started very fast, and the season appears now to be 

 as forward as common. The prospect for a crop of apples was never better, 

 also for cherries and pears. Peach trees seem to be nearly dead. Plums are 

 blooming well. 



Mount Sterling, Illinois. — April 3. — Distant thunder and lightning between 

 8 and 9 p.m. 14th, a short thunder-storm last night, and also between five 

 and six o'clock this morning. 23d, pretty severe thunder-storm without rain 

 between 4 and 6 o'clock p. m. 30th, a heavy thunder-storm with violent 

 wind and rain between 9 and 10 p. m. 



Lao?fii, Illinois. — April 9. — Last frost in the month. 21st, first blossom of the 

 red bud. 23d, cherry trees in blossom 25 rh, early apple tr.jas in blossom. 

 29th, hickory, sugar-maple, and red elm putting out leaves. No peach blossoms 

 this year. 



Sandwich, Illinois. — April has been dry, and as warm as common. The 

 sowing of wheat and oats was accomplished in better manner than is usual. 

 The soil was in fine condition during the latter half of the month. On the 

 whole the spring is at least fifteen days late. 



Harrisonrille, Missouri. — April 3. — Thunder and diff"nse and zigzag lightning 

 from 5 to 6 a. m. 5th, ice this morning on still water, in some places an eighth 

 of an inch thick. 13th, heavy thunder with rain and some hail from 9 p. m. 

 till after midnight. Thunder-storms also on the 14th, 18th, 22d, and 30th. 



Athens, Missouri. — There was but little frost in April. Vegetation is back- 

 ward; fruit of all kinds shows a favorable prospect except peaches, which have 

 failed to blossom, owing to the excessive cold of the winter. Fall wheat on the 

 prairie is generally killed ; other cereals promise well. Farmers have made good 

 progress in spring work. 



Manitowoc, Wisconsin. — April 3. — Snow is gone; swallows and robins here. 

 14th, Manitowoc river open ; very high water; bridges and mill-dams destroyed. 

 Milwaukee, Wisconsin. — April 2. — Very heavy rain with thunder and light- 

 ning ; ice left the Milwaukee river ; great flood. 4th, dam across the river 

 gave way. 26th, white frost ; ice a quarter of an inch thick. 29th, first arri- 

 val through the straits of Mackinaw, (the Montgomery.) 



Plymouth, Wisconsin. — April 2. — Heavy thunder-storm from a little after mid- 

 night to 4 a. m. this morning ; direction the same as is taken by nine thunder- 

 Btorms out of ten, which is as follows : they appear in the W. N. W., break them- 



