HISTORY OF VERMONT. ^ 79 



the whole face and state of a country are chan^- 

 inar, the weather and seasons will also chaii^e 

 with them. This is an event that has already 

 taken place in the most ancient and cultivated 

 parts of America. When our < ancestors lirst 

 came into New England, the seasons and \^eath- 

 er were uniform and refrular. The winter set 

 in about the beginning of l^eccmber, old st) ie, 

 and continued until the middle of February. 

 During that time the weather was generally fair, 

 and cold, and without much change. Towards 

 the end of February the winter generally broke 

 up. When the spring came on, it came on at 

 once ; without repeated and sudden changes 

 from heat to cold, and from cold to heat. The 

 summer was extremely hot and sultry, for a 

 month or six weeks ; but it was of a short du- 

 ration. The autumn commenced about the 

 beginning of September ; and the harvest of all 

 kinds was gathered by the end of that month. 

 A very different state of things now takes 

 place, in all that part of New England, ^diich 

 has been long saftled. The seasons are much 

 changed, and the weather is become more vari- 

 able and uncertain. The winter is intermixed 

 with great and sudden thaws, and is become 

 much shorter. The clians:es of \\-eather and 

 temperature, are great and common in the 

 spring ; and at that season there is generally an 

 unfortunate fluctuation between heat and cold, 

 greatly unfavorable to vegetiAion, and the fruits 

 of the earth. The summers arc become more 

 moderate in respect to the extreme heat of a 

 few weeks ; but they are of a much longer du- 

 ration, The autumn commences, and cnd^j. 



i 



f 



