144 On Periodical Freshes. 



The second crop in the meadows did not grow through 

 the mud ; as in the spring of the year. 



The water was up among the limbs of some of my ap- 

 ple trees that were loaded with apples ; it checked their 

 growth, but they ripened to perfection ; and the leaves 

 fell from such trees sooner than those that stood above 

 the water ; my turnips were a curiosity : they were cover- 

 ed with water from ten to twelve or fifteen fett, the water 

 left them covered over with mud three, four, or six in- 

 ches deep. I thought them all dead ; late in the fall, they 

 began to peep out, and on examining them they vv<re 

 very small ; the snows fell before the ground froze ; they 

 put out again in the spring, were grown to a large size, 

 and I never saw such good sweet turnips before, nor so 

 many for the ground, but they were of short duration ; 

 they would grow, in or out of the ground. In the course 

 of my reading, I have met with but one author that noti- 

 ces the effects of floods on vegetables, that is, my favour- 

 ite author Dr. Darwin ; see the first additional note, page 

 525 of his Phytologia. Thus I have given a true state- 

 ment of facts respeciing the periodical floods every four- 

 teen years ; and leave it for others to account for the cause. 

 To my certain knowledge, they have been regular ; for as 

 many periods ot fourteen years, as my age enables me to 

 remember correctly ; and I as fully expect such another 

 flood in the year 1828, as I expect the return of the sea- 

 sons.* 



Thine respectfully, 



Samuel Preston. 



* Susquehanna rose similar to West Branch ; and convinced Jno. 

 Tlilborn the Indian rule stood go^d. 



