ting its ears and perfecting the seed, nearly ruined the crop in all 
280 Meteorological Journal at Marietta, Ohio, for 1843. 
cold spring, as the blooming of flowers. The hot weather of early 
summer brings them forward rapidly, as it accelerates the progress 
of vegetation in a high northern latitude, where corn is ripened — 
in six weeks from the time of the me iting of the last of the snow. 
July and August were very dry months ; there falling but-a little 
more than three inches of rain. ‘The excessive drought and 
scorching heat of the sun, at a time selien the Indian corn is set 
the hilly region of this portion of th 
ed in the same manner; the produc 
and very poor in quality. The: me 
years is very productive and finely flavored, was a ieninte fil 
ure, many fields producing butlittle more than the amount of seed 
planted. Wheat, the staple crop of the uplands, was very poor. 
The open character of the winter, with the alternate — 
freezing and thawing the ground, detached many of the 
from the soil, and the plants perished. Much that survived the 
winter, was blighted by rust and mildew, or destroyed by the fly. 
A steady cold winter, with a good depth of snow, agrees the best 
with this valuable grain. The crop of peaches was very fine and 
abundant ; the hot dry weather of August ripening this delicious 
fruit in great perfection. Apples were abundant and of an excel 
lent quality. Melons and grapes both ripened well, and could 
not complain of a lack of summer heat. 
The'mean temperature of the autumnal months was 419-08, be- 
ing just ten degrees below that of the preceding year. This dif- 
ference may be explained by the unusual amount of rain, and the | 
prevalence of northerly and westerly winds. For eight or ten | 
weeks the sun did not shine more than a fourth part of the time. | 
The amount of rain in autumn was 16°31 inches; of this quat- | 
tity there fell in September 9:25 inches. ‘The excessive wel 
condition of the earth made it very difficult for the farmers to dig 
their potatoes, gather their corn, or plow their land for the seeding 
of wheat. Much Indian corn was lost by mould and dampness, 
there not being sufficient sunshine to dry it. In addition to the | 
other calamities which befell us, especially the smaller farmets, 
the gray squirrels commenced their depredations on the corn — 
soon as it was fairly in the milk, and continued them till it was 
gathered. They were most numerous in September and Oct — 
ber, migrating from the woods in the interior in countless hosts 
e state. Retna _ 
