315 



NOTES OF THE WEATHER — MAY, 1866. 



FROM THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION. 



Sfeuhen, Maine. — M;iy 12. — A very white frost. 31st. — It was so wet all 

 this month that no plantintr of any account could be put in. 



Lisbon, Maine. — May 15. — Ice this morning an eighth of an inch thick. 

 Thermometer 32° at 7 a. m. 



West WatcrvilJe, Maine. — May 14. — First blossoms of cherry and plum. 

 22d, first blossoms of apple. 31st, the mean temperature of the month lias 

 been lower than the average for May. 



Standish, Maine. — May 4. — Farmers began to plant potatoes. 10th, dande- 

 lions and strawberries in blossom. 15th, ice a quarter of an inch thick on a 

 pail of water this moi'ning. 19th, cherries in full bloom. 23d, a few flakes of 

 snow at 10.20 a. m., and again at 4 p. m. 



Stratford, New Hampshire. — May 13. — Thunder-shower from southwest at 

 7 p. m. 14th, snow squalls all the forenoon; snowing again at 7 p. m. 15th, 

 mountains white with snow this morning. Thermometer 26° at 5 a. m. Ice an 

 eighth of an inch thick. 18th, first field strawberries in bloom. 21st, plum trees 

 in bloom. 22d, snow squall from the northwest at 7.20 p. m. 23d, snow on 

 the mountain tops all day. 



Shelburne, New Hampshire. — May 12. — Grcneral time of forest trees leafing. 

 15th, ice in the creeks. 22d, snow squalls on the mountains in the afternoon. 



Concord, Neiv Hampshire. — The first ten days were extremely cold for the 

 season ; the whole month has been unusually cold and changeable. 



Claremont, New Hampshire. — May 31. — The season is unusually late; vege- 

 tation advances very slowly. For about a fortnight of the last of April and 

 the first of May everything seemed to stand still. April and the fore part of 

 May were very dry, grass backward and slow in starting. In the latter part of 

 May rain was abundant and the fields were growing green fixst. 



Lunenhurg, Vermont. — May 31. — Maples are just putting out their leaves. 

 The wild cherry tree is not yet full in blossom. There have been no freshets 

 this spring and the meadows have not been flowed as usual. 



Middleburg, Vermont. — May 13. — A violent thunder-storm and tornado at 5 

 p. m., destroying several buildings on high and exposed situations. 



Bar net, Vcrmo?it. — May 13. — A great tornado about half past 4 p. m. The 

 wind was in south, and for about an hour before there was every appearance of 

 a heavy thunder-shower. The clouds came rolling up over the hills and were 

 black as night. There was a little, but not severe, thunder and lightning. 

 Soon the wind began to blow with great severity, taking large trees up by the 

 roots, twisting off the tops of others, unroofing some barns, and blowing down 

 others, as well as some houses. It totally demolished the toll bridge across the 

 Connecticut river at this place. After the tornado passed there was quite a 

 heavy shower of rain and a veiy little hail. 



Brandon, Vermont. — May 13. — At 4J p. m. a tornado suddenly broke upon 

 the town from the southwest, followed by sharp zig-zag lightning and heavy 

 thunder, with rain and hail. Fortunately it was of only a few minutes duration, 

 or its consequences would have been most disastrous, for in the space of from 

 three to five minutes it uprooted a large number of forest and fruit trees, un- 

 roofed a number of barns, and threw down a large amount of fencing. The most 



