^\)t JTarmcr's iUontl)h) lUsitor. 



55 



neiiililiors. Then ietiiriiii)jr lioriie, 1 sjo to vviiiiiig 

 or leiuliiig, or such otiier biisiiiossc as 1 l):ive: 

 l)i?t with study, or invention, 1 never meildh; in 

 three iioiu'es alter I have (hned. 1 su|)|)e with a 

 small pittam-e, and alter supper I either seldome 

 or never write or reade, hut rather passe the time 

 seeing uiy sheepe eonie home from tlie Field, 

 and my Oxen drairsrinj; home the plow with wea- 

 ry neckes, in heholdiu^ the pleasant pastures 

 sweetly smelliiijL; ahout my house, and my heards 

 of cattell lowin;; hard by mee: sometime I list 

 to rest me luider an old Holme, sometime upon 

 the greene grasse : in the meane time passeth hy 

 me the [deasani River, the streames falling lioui 

 the springs with a eomfortalile noise; or else 

 walhing liy the River-side, or in my garden, or 

 nearest pastures, I ronfer with my wife or ser- 

 vants of hiishan(hy, a|)pointing what 1 will have 

 done: if my IJailille have any thing to say, if any 

 thing be to he bought or sold : for a good hus- 

 band, as Cato sailh, must rather bee a seller than 

 a buyer. Smnetimes (specially in v\ inter) after 

 supper, I make my Minister to tell soiuelhing out 

 of l!ie holy Scripture, or else some pheasant slory, 

 so that it bo honest and godly, and such as may 

 editie. Two or three houres after supper I get 

 me to bed, antl commoidy as I said before, the 

 last ill the house, except my Chamherlaiiie tind 

 my Steward. 



(To be continued.) 



For the Farmer's Monthly Visitor. 

 Almanack Predictions of the Weather. 



Mr. Editor — Believing as 1 have for many 

 years past, that the allempts of the Ahnanack 

 inakiu's to predict the changes of tlie weather 

 for twelve months ami more in advance, is sheer 

 nonsense, I was somewliai grat'fied to find the 

 following extract in one of the most usefid Al- 

 manacks of its class, for the present year. If the 

 author has not tchltllcd his own pretensions al- 

 most down lo the ''lillle end of nothing," then I 

 do not know how he could doit. He says, "Now 

 the author of this Almanack would -say lo his 

 readers, once for all, that all that \s, or oiis^ht lo be 

 tueant by the predii-tious of tlie weather is, that 

 f they are made with care, according to the laws 

 ^'Jiicli have been ob.-erved to govern the wealli- 

 ei it is more likely to happen nearly as predict- 

 ed JKiii otherwise, though there are many excep.- 

 ti"" as there are lo all general rules." What 

 the l.vs that have been observed to covern the 

 weatli,- are, the author does not tell us, hut froru 

 an exaiiiijiiioii of the predictions themselves, it 

 is plain >|,,(ig|i that the moon is regarded more 



than any 



ing else 



Another\ imanack of extensive popularity and 

 usefulness, v,j,g ,|„t y^t give any signs of relin- 

 quishing us |..(g,||ions to be weather-wise, hut, 

 in addition to , i-,.;,,,).,,. predictions in the cal- 

 endar pages, !-l. continues to publish a silly ta- 

 ble which the aL, J,. ^^y_^^ .;^^.||| 1,^, j,i,„jj|(; |„. 



spection show IIUL^erver what kind of weather 

 will he liKelv to lo.^y ,|,g ^,„„..,|,pg ^f the moon 

 into any of its quar>^_ ^^^^ ^^^^^ ^^ i^^.^^ ,1^^ ^^.^^^^^ 



No' 



shown, either by 

 moon has the 



as to be seldom or ;^,p,, ,^,,,,,j ,^,;^;i_; 

 the fact IS, that it cai^^ - 

 facts nor fair argumei .^.^^ ^1^^ 

 least perceptible influei 



' " The 



influence, good or 



productions, is the 1 



.■ upon the weather, or 

 any thing else, except m ,^^,,,, ,^ j,^^ ^.^^.. .„,„ 



whole popular belief in 



liai nnon the inhabitants \, . - ,. 



"''"' I. . . . ,■ ,";iie earth, or any of 

 lie luigerf^^ - ' - - •' 



lowerful astrology. _^ _ \ 



Its 



fleets of the once 



In regard to the difBcultie; 

 foretelling of the weather, I ^ \> 

 lowing (lassages from Brand's 

 ence. Literature and .\rt : it is 

 nrlicie fl'enlher, and expresses soi" 

 1 bad formed upon the subject m 

 1 can myself It is as follows : 



" In all ages of the world, maiiki 

 tempted to explain and prognoslicate'^ 

 es of the weather; but such is the co 

 of the subject and the vast multitude o' 

 stances to be taken account of, that n " 

 fiiriiisb rules for determining the order ii* 

 they succeed each other or for predictV 

 state of the weather at a future time, w 

 approach to certainly. Nevertheless, all tl 

 ferent modifications of the almosphere^ are 

 necessary re; 



unalterable i , - . • ,■ -a i■^\■o 



least) well known in their separate and individit('>s 

 al operations. The difficulty of tracing the ro\L 



jiich attend the 

 ^piote the lt)l- 

 Tpnary of Sci- 

 under the 

 which 

 fetter than 



ive al- 

 lang- 

 ition 



otlK'""- 

 \can 



suits of their combined infliionces arises chiefly 

 troiii their complexity and endless concatena- 

 tions. 



"The principal cause ofall the variations which 

 take place in the state of the atmosphere, is the 

 heating action of the sun's rays; but in order to 

 appreciate correctly its eflect, it is necessary lo 

 know not only the extent of the atmosphere, hut 

 the properlii.'s of all the substances of which it 

 is composed. Modern science has discovered 

 that the atmosphere is composed of three difler- 

 ent gaseous fluids, everywhere combined in the 

 same proportions, and p«neliated by an ever va- 

 rying elastic vapor. These two distinct envel- 

 opes of air and vapor nieclianically mixed, have 

 different rclalions to bent; and therefore, in con- 

 sequence of the unequal temperature of the sur- 

 face of the earth, with which they are in contact, 

 they cannot both be in a stale of e(|uilibrium at 

 the same time. In conseiinence of the diurnal 

 rotation the diflerent parts of the atmosphere are 

 constantly receiving different quantities of heat, 

 as the solar rays penetrate more or less oblique- 

 ly. This inequality of temperature produces 

 winds, which, if the surface of the earth were 

 perfectly regular and homogeneous, would al- 

 ways blow in llie same direction ; but the sur- 

 face of the earth being composed of luaterialsof 

 various kinds, and irregularly disjiosed, the dis- 

 tribiilion of bent over it is extremely irregular. 

 The winds sweeping along the siirliice, acipiire 

 its temperature; and hence the atmosphere also 

 becomes irregularly heated. This produces an 

 accumulation of air at one place andn deficiency 

 at another; and hence a subsequent rush to re- 

 store the equilibrium. As the air is cooled it be- 

 comes also incapable of holding the same quan- 

 tity of aqueous vapor, a porlion of which is tliere- 

 fore set liee, and gives rise to clouds, mist, rain, 

 dew, snow, &c. Besides all this, there is to be 

 taken into account the develo()ement of electric- 

 ity, the influences of light and galvanism, ihe ag- 

 itation of the atmosphere produced by the rise 

 and fall of tides, and probably a variety of other 

 circumstances uitli which we are entirely iinac- 

 (piainted. This very iiuperfect enumeration may 

 serve to give an idea of the difficulties to he over- 

 come in forming a theory of the weather." 



in regard to the influence of the moon upon 

 the weather, the same writer hits the following 

 correct remarks : 



"It has always been a favorite prejudice that 

 the weather is influenced in some mysterious 

 manner by the moon. The moon can be suppos- 

 ed to act on the earth only in one [or all] of three 

 ways; namely, by the light which it refiects; liy 

 its attraction ; or liy an emanation of some un- 

 known kind. Now the light of the moon does 

 not amount to the 1 00 000th part of that of the 

 sun ; and the heat which it excites is so small as 

 to he altogether inappreciable by the most deli- 

 cate instruments, or llie best devised experiments. 

 No effect can lie attributed, therefore, to llie 

 moon's light. With regard to the attraction of 

 llie moon, we see its infiuonce on the tidesof the 

 ocean, and might therefore be disposed lo allow 

 a similar influence upon the atmosphere ; but 

 when we take into account the small specific 

 gravity of atmospheric air in comparison with 

 water, and the consequent smallness of the mass 

 of matter to be acted upon, it will readily be per- 

 ceived that this influence must also he extremely 

 feeble. In fact, it has been demonstrated by La- 

 place that the joint action of the solar and lunar 

 attractions is incapable of producing more than 

 an atmospheric tide flowing westward at the rate 

 of about four miles a day, and consequently 

 scarcely, if at all appreciable. As to the remain- 

 ing supposition, that the moon may act on the at- 

 mosphere by some obscure emanation, it is suffi- 

 cient to remark that no meteorological observa- 

 tions that have yet been made, afiurd the slight- 

 est traces of any such coiiiiectiou between the 

 earlh and its satellite. The re:;islers which are 

 now kefil in various ohservatiiries and other pla- 

 ces also prove, contrary to the popular belief, that 

 the changes of' the weather are in no way what- 

 ever dependent on Ihe lunar [diases." 



It is often remarkeil that an eclipse of the sun, 

 which is occasioned by the moon, causes cold 



list af- 



itilal- 



ys was colder at such time:*, and mentioned 



iniige in the weather that had taken place 



\e the day before; but the change took place 



icalions of the almospneie aie\j .' ' . . 



.suit of principles not only fixed \weatl,er ; and on batur.lay the 2a 1, mst ju 

 in their nature, but (many of themV' tl"." eclipse a farmer asserted lo me thai 



the night before, (and not on the same day) be- 

 fore the moon had arrived nearer directly be- 

 tween us and the sun tluin it often is at her cotl- 

 junclion. I observed that at the time of the great- 

 est obscuration there was a sensible diminution 

 of heat, as well iis light, in the sun's rays ; but in 

 the shade it would not be ijerceptible. It un- 

 doubtedly has as much eftect as a dense cloud 

 would have, sufficiently large lo cover riVi equal 

 space of the earth's surface, in an equal lime, 

 and no more. C. 



From the Boston Post. 

 Commercial Statistics. 



Imports of the United St-^tes. — For the 

 year ending June 30, 1845, the total imports to 

 the United States were $117,254,.564. Of this 

 anioiint $102,438,481 were imported in American 

 and $14,8iri,08.'! in foreign vessels. Of tbesame 

 amount S22,147,840 were admitted duty free, 

 while $1)0,191,8(52 paid an ad valorem, aud $34,- 

 914,862 paid a specific duty. We give below a 

 statement, in round nnmber.s, of the amounts im- 

 ported from each country; premising that in ev- 

 ery case the colonies and dependencies of each 

 nation are included in the general term. Great 

 Britain 50 millions of dollars; France, 22 mil- 

 lions; Spain, 104 millions; China, seven mil- 

 lions; Brazil, six millions; Hanse Towns, three 

 millions; Russia, Holland, Italy, Ilayti, Mexico, 

 Venzuela, Argentine Republic, and Ciiili, each 

 l)etween one and two millions ; Sweden, Den- 

 mark, Belgium, Sicily, Turkey, Texas, and Africa 

 generally, each tielween $500,000 and one mil- 

 lion of dollars. 



By the following list may be seen the value of 

 each of the most prominent articles of import 

 during the year 1844-45:— Bullion and specie 

 $4,070,242; leas $5,730,514; coffee $0,221,271; 

 copper and brass $1,977,939; manufactures of 

 wool $10,057,875; manufactures of cotton $13,- 

 863,282: manufactures of silk, camlet, lace, &c., 

 $3,918,120 ; manufactures of flax and hemp $5,- 

 431.092; manufiietiwes of iron, steel, brass and 

 tin $4,291,077; earthern ware and [lorcelain $2,- 

 658,637; watclies $1,106,543 ; wool iintnanufac- 

 liired $1,689,794 ; pongees $8,260,784 ; tpolasses 

 $3,154,782; sugar $4,780,555; spices $533,055; 

 cigars $1,160,644 ; iron and steel $4,(329,.509 ; salt 

 $888,663; indigo $802,700; spirits and wines 

 $2,661,297. 



Exports of the United States for the 

 YEAR ENDING Jdne 30, 184.5.^The exports from 

 the United States for the above time, of articles 

 of domestic production, were $99,299,776. Of this 

 amount $23,816,653 were in foreign and $75,483,- 

 123 in American vessels. Domestic exports to 

 the value of $4,106,927 went lo the Hanse Towns; 

 $3,234,748 to Holland and her dependencies; $1,- 

 495,754 to Belgium ; $54,624,652 to Great Bri- 

 lain and her colonies; $12,951,669 to France 

 and her colonies ; $7,344,048 to Spain and her 

 colonies ; $1,433,103 to Trieste and other Aus- 

 trian ports; $1,327,891 to Ilayti; $2,413,-567 to 

 Brazil; $1,247,3(;0 to Chili, and $2,079,341 to 

 China, Russia, Prussia, Denmark and her colon- 

 ies, Italy, Mexico, Venezuela,anil Africa general- 

 ly, each received between $500,000 and $1,000,- 

 000. The total domestic exports are comprised 

 under the following heads :— the sea $4,507,124 ; 

 the forest $6,550,421 : animal products $6,206,- 

 394; vegetable food $9,810,.508; tobacco $7,469,819; 

 cotton $51,739,643; other agricultural ))roducts 

 $183,496; manufactures $5,804,977 ; articles not 

 enumerated $2,927,562. 



The exports from the United States for the 

 same lime of foreign production were $15,346,830 

 —of which $11,459,319 were in American and 

 $3,887,511 in foreign vessels. Of the wliole$10,- 

 175,099 were admitted here free of duty, $2,107,- 

 292 with ad valorem, and $3,064,439 with specific 

 duties. Of the whole $4,682,464 were entitled 

 to drawback. Of the whole $6,419,883 went to 

 Great Britain and her colonies, and $3,192,325 to 

 France, itc. Russia, Denmark, Holland, Belgi- 

 um, Spain and her colonies, Italy, Sicily, Austria, 

 Texas, Mexico, Venezuela, Brazil,Argeutine He- 

 public, Chili, China, and Asia generally, eaeh re- 

 ceived amounts from $100,000 to $500,000; the 

 Hanse Towns received $838,093. 



Clearances from the U. States and En- 

 trances THERETO for THE YEAR ENDING JnNE 

 30, 1845.— 8197 American vessels, with a total of 

 2,05.3,977 tons, and crews of 100,794 men and 

 2462 boys : and 55&3 foreign vessels, with a total 



