On Lidian Corn, Potatoes, ^c. 



vents the plants from penetrating the soil. The Indi- 

 ans' ideas of planting, are suited to their limited ob- 

 servation ; but we see those trees which are generally 

 in blossom at the time of planting corn, are some- 

 times in full bloom, in February and March. I have 

 not been long enough here to determine how much 

 later spring generally commences here than with 

 you : but believe it cannot be less than two weeks. 

 My corn, and that of some of my neighbours, was 

 planted the last day of April and the first day of 

 May. The weather was mild, and continued so until 

 the 13th of May, when some white frost appeared on 

 the fence rails and bridges. On the 14th some of the 

 corn came up ; on the 16th considerable white frost, 

 and ice were also seen in an earthen pot, standing on 

 boards in my yard ; on the 17th, the ground was frozen 

 in the bottoms, and ice in troughs, and the same oc- 

 curred every morning until the 22d, during which the 

 corn continued coming up, and few, if any of the plants 

 were destroyed, although some of them were killed 

 level with the ground. The tops of early planted po- 

 tatoes were killed, but the crop was abundant. Beans 

 fared worse, being incapable of a general recovery. 

 The older settlers say, this was the severest frosty time, 

 they have seen here at the same season of the year. 

 On the 19th of August there was a considerable white 

 frost, with ice. The upper blades of the corn were 

 wrinkled from twelve to fifteen inches from their points, 

 and hung downward, but generally retained a healthy, 

 rusty, weatherbeaten, green. From this, injury was 

 expected, but none appeared in the crops. The next 



VOL. III. R r 



