CLIMATE, SEASONS, ETC, 



1818. 



March 31. of man and beast. Last summer / wrote home for 

 nails to nail my shoes for winter. I could find none 

 here. What a foolish people, not to have shoe- 

 nails ! I forgot, that it was likely, that the absence 

 of shoe-nails argued an absence of the want of them. 

 The nails are not come ; and I have not wanted 

 them. There is no dirt, except for about ten days 

 at the breaking up of the frost. The dress of a 

 labourer does not cost half so much as in England. 

 This dryness is singularly favourable to all animals. 

 They are hurt far less by dry cold, than by warm 

 drip, drip, drip, as it is in England. There has been 

 nothing green in the garden, that is to say, above 

 ground, since December ; but, we have had, all 

 winter, and have now, white cabbages, green savoys, 

 parsnips, carrots, beets, young onions, radishes, white 

 turnips, Swedish turnips, and potatoes : and all these 

 in abundance (except radishes, which were a few 

 to try), and always at hand at a minute s warning. 

 The modes of preserving will be given in another 

 part of the work. What can any body want more 

 than these things in the garden way ? However 

 it would be very easy to add to the catalogue . Apples , 

 quinces, cherries, currants, peaches, dried in the 

 summer, and excellent for tarts and pies. Apples 

 in their raw state, as many as we please. My own 

 stock being gone, I have trucked turnips for apples ; 

 and shall thus have them, if I please, till apples 

 come again on the trees. I give two bushels and a 

 half of Swedish turnips for one of apples ; and, 

 mind, this is on the last day of March. I have here 

 stated facts, whereby to judge of the winter ; and I 

 leave the English reader to judge for himself, I 

 myself decidedly preferring the American winter. 

 April i . Very fine and warm. 



2. Same weather. 



3 . Same weather. 



4. Rain all day. 



5. Rain all day. Our cistern and pool full. 



6. Warm, but no sun. Turkeys begin to lay. 



7. Same weather. My first spring operations in 

 gardening are now going on ; but I must reserve 

 an account of them for another Part of my work. 



8. Warm and fair. 



9. Rain and rather cold. 



10. Fair but cold. It rained but yesterday, and we are 

 to-day, feeding sheep and lambs with grain of corn 

 and with oats, upon the ground in the orchard. 



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