275 



and tLe ferry-boat made a few crossing? in the openings several days ago. 

 13th, soft maple trees in blossom. 



Muscatine, loica. — April 12. — Farmers commenced sowing wheat. l-5th, 

 martins made their appearance. 26th, grass enough for cattle to live on ; wheat 

 all sowed. 



Clinton, Iowa. — April 6. — Elms in blossom. 8th, martins first seen. 9rh, 

 last frost of the mouth. 20th, river rising fast ; eight feet above low-water mark. 

 21st, first spring flowers, liverworts and sanguinaria. 27th, thermometer SSi° 

 at 3 p. m. 30th, river eighteen feet above low-water mark of 1859, and still 

 rising. April has been a cold backward moilth ; farmers have their small grain 

 sowed, but have put in no corn yet. 



Fort Jladison, loica. — April 4. — Some snow, but it melted as it fell. 11th, 

 gooseberry bud expands. 27th, plum, apple aud cherry in blossom; there are 

 no peach blossoms this year. 



iSlanrhester, loica. — April 2. — Spring seems fairly opened, aud the most of 

 the summer birds are here ; martius, blue birds, robins and a multitude of 

 ducks. 14th, farmers during the last week have been busy putting in spring 

 wheat. 17th, frost nearS' all out of the ground. 30th, spring is near fifteen 

 days earlier than last year ; the most of the wheat in this section is put in, and 

 the ground was quite dry until to-day's rain. 



Independence, loico.. — April 1. — Distant thunder and a light shower at 9 a. 

 m. : wild creese ^oino: north. 2d, cultivated grasses beginning to start: black 

 birds appeared. 5th, ice on standing water an eighth of an inch in thickness 

 formed last night ; wild geese returning south ; a few flakes of snow fell at 3 

 p. m. 9th, prairie grass begins to grow. 17th, a thunder-storm came up in 

 the west at 4.30 p. m., a part passing over here. Two miles northeast of In- 

 dependence a barn was struck by lightning ; a man and a pair of horses which 

 he was feeding were instantly killed ; his wife aud child who were standing 

 near were uninjured ; no marks were found upon either the man or horses ; the 

 woman only saw a blue light for an instant. White frost on the mornings of 

 the 22d, 24th, and 29th. 



^Vaterloo, Iowa. — April 18. — First prairie flowers. 28th, first strawberry 

 blossoms. This spring is full eighteen days earlier than the spring of 1865. 

 Fruit trees and all outstanding shrubbery stood the winter better than the ob- 

 server has known it in this locality for the past nine years. 



Osage, Iowa. — April 1. — Thunder-storm at 9 p. m. ; frequent rain during the 

 night. 2d, ice leaves the river; water very high, sweeping away bridges, 

 dams, and mills. 9th, one inch of snow fell. 16th, thunder-storm at 7 a. 

 m., north and south. 17th, frequent thunder-showers. 



Iowa Falls, Iowa. — April 1. — Thunder to the northeast this morning; large 

 flocks going north. 2d, blackbirds, meadow larks, martius, cranes, ^^eiQ, 

 ducks, snipes, aud hundreds of small birds appeared. The river broke up to- 

 day ; ice about eighteen inches thick, tore out part of Iowa Falls mill-dam aud 

 abutment. 3d, fire on the prairie all around. Commenced to sow wheat, 

 ground in fine order, thawed one foot deep ; the frost penetrated from three 

 feet to three feet and a half. 4th, geese, swans, cranes, and other bu'ds going 

 south. 5th, birds still going in large flocks. ISth, brants first seen. 24th 

 aud 29th, white frost. 30th, thunder-showers all the afternoon. 



Ceres, Iowa. — April 2. — Wild ^qqS:Q going north. 4th, wild Qe^iQ going 

 southeast. 



Avon, Kansas — April 14. — Thunder-storm from northwest at 1 a. m., 

 with hail of about one ounce in weight ; a strong gale from the northwest during 

 the rain, covering a belt five miles wide ; hail somewhat heavier a few miLs 

 east. ISth and 19th, twenty-six hours steady and slow rain. 24:h, light 

 frost in low places ; perhaps last this spring; later is not common. 30th, this 



