184 QUARTERLY JOURNAL. 



important practically. The foddering season is thereby lengthened, 

 and the maize crop runs a greater hazard of being cut off or injured 

 by frost, and hence the necessity for the farmer to put in requisition 

 all his means to secure this crop from a failure. ' 



The changes of temperature, though they are gradual as we 

 ascend the Hudson, are more sudden and abrupt at some spots 

 than can be accounted for either in elevation or in latitude. It may 

 be, and probably is, often due to cold winds, from which some 

 points are less sheltered than others ; and were our observations i 

 extended, so as to embrace a greater number of places, many more 

 would be found in this section of country equally bleak and frosty. 



From data obtained from the Reports of the Regents of the Uni- 

 versity of the State, it is found that this belt of country does not 

 enjoy so mild a climate as Western and Central New-York. Then 

 extremes are greater and more sudden ; though it is questioned- 

 whether it is not as exempt from early and late frosts as those parts 

 of the State, with the exception of the limited belts which extend 

 along the inland lakes. In the Taconic region, there are no bodies 

 of water to exert a perceptible influence either in retarding the ap- 

 pearance of frosts in the autumn, or in warding them off in the* 

 spring. In this section, however, the severity of the frost never 

 destroys forest trees, as it has in some parts of St. Lawrence coun- 

 ty, and it is extremely rare that their foliage is injured to any greatil 

 extent in the spring. Corn, when in the blade, rarely suffers ini 

 those places where it can be grown to advantage. The leaves are,i 

 indeed, sometimes killed to the ground, but the plants immediately 

 spring up and grow without suffering damage. 



I 



Quantity of rain. 



Our data are insufficient for the whole district, as the observations 

 are limited to four or five places. Selecting a single year, we will 

 give the results which have been obtained. 



In Granville, Washington county, the whole quantity of rain 

 which fell during 1844, was 28.88 inches. In Lansingburgh it was 

 26.94 ; Kinderhook, 39.49 (and the average 35.55 for 9 years). In 

 Mount-Pleasant, 23.31 (in 1832, it was 53,46; 1834, 40.97). As 

 these places are all virtually in the valley of the Hudson, the ave- 

 rage quantity of rain which fell in that year was 30.35 inches. 



The number of clear days at Kinderhook the same year, was 195 ; 



