532 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Twelve double ox, and eleven single ox teams, 

 and eleven two-horse teams, are already entered 

 for competition for the Stetson premiums on plow- 

 ing. The 1st premium is $25, and the second 

 $15. This match comes off to-morrow, as also a 

 spading match, and other matters of general in- 

 terest. 



For the Neiv England Farmer. 



FIRST AND LAST SNOWS. 



Mr. Editor : — As we had a few flakes of snow 

 on the 15th inst., with the remark of many that it 

 was earlier in the season than usual, it has induced 

 me to search the record kept for twenty years past. 

 The following is the result of my examination : 



Last snoiv in the season. First snow in the season. 



1833 April 24 October 20. 



1834 April 27, 3 in. deep October 14. 



1835 April 25, 2 in November 23, 7 inches. 



183S April 13, 3 in November 3, 5 inches. 



1837 April 24 October 13. 



1833 April 25 October 28, J inch. 



1839 April 17, 2 in November 10. 



1840 April 1, 3 in November 18, 5 inches. 



1841 May 2 and 3 October 4. 



1842 May 20 November 16. 



1843 April 19 November 7, 1 inch. 



1841 March 30 5 Oct. 31, a very few flakes, 



lbil March d0 " • \ no more till Nov. 28, 4 in. 



1845 May 8 November 9. 



1846 April 15 October 28, I inch. 



1347 April 23.: November 28. 



1843 April 19, 3 in November 9, i inch. 



1849 April 19 December 3, 1 inch. 



1850 April 16 November 26. 



1351 April 20, 2 in Oct. 27, 3J inches. 



1852 April 24 October 15. 



The number of inches of snow attached to the 

 date is no correct indication of the amount of snow 

 that fell, but only what remained after the several 

 storms, as a great part of the late and early snow 

 melts as it falls. 



The earliest snow in any one season fell at the 

 close of the remarkable violent and destructive 

 storm of Oct. 3 and 4, 1841, which my book says 

 was the most severe since the storin of Oct. 10, 

 1806. In the former many lives and much pro- 

 perty was lost on and near Cape Cod. It will be 

 perceived that for most of the snow no depth is 

 set down, as no depth was visible. It has been 

 remarked that when snows hold out late in the 

 spring, they will come earlier in the next fall. — 

 The examination of the above table seems to indi 

 cate that to be the case generally. 



In publishing my former meteorological piece in 

 the New England Farmer of Aug. 7, and in the 

 monthly issue, you made a few mistakes in the 

 figures, which I wish you to correct, viz.: 



In June, 1845, the 9th, you have 99° as the 

 heat of that day; it ought to read 94°. 



In June, 1849, the22d, you have 9±°; an error, 

 it was 98° as the heat at 1 o'clock. 



Yours, &c, Isaac Stearns. 



Mansfield, Oct. 18, 1852. 



Remarks. — We are obliged to friend Stearns for 

 the interesting tables he has sent us, and regret 

 that any errors occurred before. But errors are 

 not always chargeable, either to the editor or 

 printer. Our proofs are first read by the printer, 

 whose eye is as keen as an eagle's, and then by 

 another person while a third reads the manuscript. 

 Even in our careful and painstaking correspon- 

 dent's article, now before us, it is difficult to tell 



what some of the figures are, without a compari- 

 son of them with each other. 



CHELMSFOED CATTLE SHOW. 



The third annual exhibition of the Chelmsford 

 Farmers' and Mechanics' Association was held at 

 the middle of Chelmsford, Sept. — . The day was 

 unusually pleasant, and the number in attendance 

 was quite large. The Plowing Match took place 

 in the early part of the day. We were not 

 on the ground in time to witness it. We under- 

 stand the competition was good. Ten teams were 

 entered for the prizes — four single teams and six 

 double teams. The shortest time in which the 

 land (one-eighth of an acre) was plowed by the 

 double team was 22 minutes. The committee on 

 that department awarded premiums to the double 

 teams as follows : — For best performance, Asa 

 Hodgman, 2d, $4,00 ; next best, Samuel Park- 

 hurst, $3,00 ; J. B. Emerson, (gratuity) $2,00. 

 For single team — best performance, John Sweet- 

 ser, $4,00 ; next best, Alvah Hodgman ; 3d best, 

 E. P. Spaulding. 



The cattle pens were not so well filled as we 

 could have wished to see them, and not as well, 

 we know, as the farmers of Chelmsford could have 

 had them, had they exerted themselves a little 

 more. We trust, next year, to see a larger num- 

 ber. Some very good specimens of cows and 

 heifers were noticed. 



Fruit and Vegetables. — The display of fruits was 

 very large and unusually fine. We have never 

 seen a better show at any of our county exhibi- 

 tions. 



The display of vegetables was also very large 

 and excellent. A large number of small premiums 

 and gratuities were granted. 



Bread and Butter. — The display of bread and 

 butter was very good. 



There was a respectable number of agricultural 

 implements on the ground. 



There was a great variety of domestic manufac- 

 tures exhibited, showing that the Chelmsford la- 

 dies were deeply interested in keeping up this 

 praiseworthy society. Some fifty premiums and 

 gratuities were awarded for the various articles of 

 household thrift and ingenuity, showing, too, that 

 the efforts of the fair contributors met with the 

 approval and praise of the sterner sex. We 

 could not obtain them. 



The show of poultry was pretty fair. 



The address before the association was delivered 

 by Rev. Mr. Babbidge, of Pepperell. His subject 

 was, on the dignity of the farming profession, and 

 the enjoyment to be derived in following it out in- 

 telligently and with zeal. We did not hear it, 

 but it was spoken highly of by those who were 

 present. There was also a dinner, with speeches, 

 toasts, &c, and last evening the fair was wound 

 up with a tea-party by the young folks. — Middle- 

 sex Farmer. 



Bitter Rot in Apples. — We have been l'cquest- 

 ed by a farmer of this county, to inquire of the 

 Prairie Farmer or the New England Farmer, the 

 cause of the bitter rot in apples, and the best rem- 

 edy for it. A number of oi'chards have been at- 

 tacked with it this season in this section of coun- 

 try. It commences in a tree and spreads over the 

 whole orchard, as a contagious disease begins in a 

 family and spreads through the whole community. 



