4/2 OBSERVATIONS. Part IV. 



March. 



Though the thermometer was but i degree below the freezing 

 point, on the 3d, in the morning, the air continued fliarp. The 

 barometer fell again to 26 inches and feven twelfths ; and on the 

 6th and 7th, to 26 inches and ten twelfths. 



Tho' feme rain fell from time to time, yet the wind and fun foon 

 dried the furface of the earth. However, our farmers went hard 

 to work, to get their grounds ready for the fpring corn. This la- 

 bour had been greatly retarded : but before the end of the month, 

 they began to fow oats, which came up very foon. 



Apr I L. 



The temperature of the air changed fuddenly, and became as hot 

 as in fummer. The thermometer was feveral times 1 5 degrees above 

 the freezing point, in the morning: and on the 15th and 20th, at 

 noon, it was 26 degrees above ir. 



This warmth put in motion the fap, which had remained till then 

 in a kind of inadlion. By the i 5th, the trees were as full of leaves 

 as they generally are in the middle of May : and towards the end of 

 the month, the vine had leaves as broad as one's hand. 



The corn was very green : but the oats that were fown after March, 

 being in too dry a ground, did not rife. 



The fame warmth which quickened the vegetation of plants, gave 

 birth to a prodigious quantity of caterpillars of all kinds. The fields 

 were likewife full of gnats and bugs ; and, in general, all forts of 

 infed:s appeared in great quantities. Some eat up the leaves of the 

 trees, and others attacked the bloflbms of pears and cherries; fo that, 

 in a fliort time, both woods and orchards were ftripped of their leaves 

 and fruit. 



Towards the end of the month, fome fmall (howers fell, which 

 were of great fervice to make the oats rife. On the 29th and 30th, 

 there was a hoar-froft : but as the fun did not appear in the morn- 

 ing, it did no damage. 



Some fhowers of hail fell in our neighbourhood, and damaged 

 the young buds- The apricot and peach trees knit their fruit 

 perfectly well, and were the only trees that feemed to promife 

 plenty. 



Notwithftanding the rains which I faid were of fervice to the oats, 



the 



