New Jerfey, Raccoon. 411 



follows, for the opinion which the people here 

 have, that vegetation appeared formerly more for- 

 ward than it does now. Formerly the cattle were 

 not fo numerous as now; however, the woods 

 were full of grafs and herbs, which, according to 

 the teftimony of all the old people here, grew to 

 the height of a man. At prefent a great part of 

 the annual grafles and plants have been entirely 

 extirpated by the continual grazing of numbers 

 of cattle. Thefe annual grafles were probably 

 green very early in fpring, and (being extirpated) 

 might lead the people to believe, that every 

 thing came on fooner formerly than it does at 

 prefent. 



IT ufed to rain more abundantly than it does 

 now ; during the harveft efpecially, the rains fell 

 in fuch plenty, that it was very difficult to bring 

 home the hay and corn. However, a few peo- 

 ple were of opinion that it rained as plentifully at 

 prefent as formerly. 



ALL the people agreed, that the weather was 

 not by far fo inconftant, when they were young, 

 as it is now. For at prefent it happens at all 

 times of the year, that when a day has been warm, 

 the next is very cold, and vice verfa. It fre- 

 quently happens that the weather alters feveral 

 times in one day ; fo that when it has been a pretty 

 warm morning, the wind blows from N. W. 

 about ten o'clock, and brings a cold air with it ; 

 yet a little after noon it may be warm again. 

 My meteorological obfervations fufficiently con- 

 firm the reality of the fudden changes of wea- 

 ther, which are faid to caufe, in a great meafure, 



the 



