120 THE NEW AGKICULTURE. 



cember, it has continued with the full force of its rigor till the end 

 of March, and its whole course has been marked with the fewness 

 and long distance apart of its intervals of mildness. Its record for 

 severity cannot be surpassed by that of many seasons in the pres- 

 ent century. 



" The coldest day of the year, taking it all together, was Febru- 

 ary 10, when the thermometer stood at 16 degrees below zero for 

 almost the entire twenty-four hours, though at other times it sank 

 for a short time as low as 30 degrees below. 



" Below will be found a record of the dates on which the ther- 

 mometer was below zero between 8 a. m. and 1 p. m. : 



"December 17, 2 degrees; 18, 12; 19, 7. January 2,4degrees; 13, 

 5; 14, 10; 19, 17; 20, 8; 21, 6; 22, 16; 26, 7; 28, 15. February 10, 

 16 degrees; 11, 13; 12, 3; 13, 10; 15, 10; 16, 13; 17, 7; 18, 2; 19, 

 1; 20, 9. March 20, 2 degrees. 



" The dates in January and February when the thermometer rose 

 above freezing were: 



"January 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 31, and February 2, 3, 4, 24, 25, 26, 27 

 and 28." 



Unless other winters of greater severity remain in store for the 

 present and future generations, we have no hesitation in declaring 

 that our system is good for irrigation from December to April of 

 any year likely to come while there remains alive a single child 

 now born, and we believe at any parallel of latitude between Mason 

 and Dixon's lines, and Hudson's Bay. Certain is it, that Southern 

 Alaska can safely count on having been released from subjection 

 to the dominions of the Frost King, since it has been discovered 

 that this hitherto little understood portion of our country possesses 

 a climate producing crops vastly superior to those of the more 

 northerly countries of Europe and Asia, and that grasses can be 



