1859. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



275 



For the New England Farmer. 

 REVIEW OP THE SEASON". 



Mr. Editor : — With a view of keeping the 

 readers of the Fanner posted up on the changes 

 and fluctuations of the season, I send the results 

 of my record of the weather for the last six 

 months, giving an account of the principal ele- 

 ments which have governed the seasons during 

 that time. The amount of snow and rain has 

 been small, yet the ground for the greater part 

 of the time, from Uecemher to March, has been 

 mostly coated with ice, so that we have had an 

 ordinary amount of tolerable sleighing, while the 

 amount of snow which continued on the ground 

 has not exceeded three or four inches, m re than 

 a few days at a time, yet by thawing and freez- 

 ing, it has formed ice of a more permanent char- 

 acter. We have had no severe snow storms, and 

 but a few days of extreme cold weather. 



October had a mean temperature of 47.54°, 

 which was only .GS*^ above the mean of the ])ast 

 six years, and was the warmest October since 

 1854. Rain fell on 15 days, and its whole amount 

 was 3.58 inches, but no snow fell during the 

 month. We had two thunder storms, one on the 

 23d, with heavy thunder in north-west, from 

 three to six, P. M. ; had a light shower at six 

 o'clock. On the 30th at eight o'clock, P. M., 

 thunder was heard in nortii-west, and in a few 

 minutes rain began to fall, and soon increased 

 to a heavy shower, when the thunder was not 

 heard for some time, but at 40 minutes past eight 

 o'clock, there was a sudden heavy peal of crack- 

 ling thunder, which probably struck at no great 

 distance. After this, rolling thunder continued 

 in south-east, till about 20 minutes past nine. 

 There was an aurora of considerable brightness 

 between eight and nine o'clock on the evening of 

 the 27th, consisting of bright arch, rays, stream- 

 ers, and beautiful corruscations. 



November had a temperature of 30.37", which 

 was 5.62° colder than the mean, and colder than 

 any of the six preceding years. Rain and snow 

 fell on 13 days. The total amount of rain and 

 melted snow was 2.64 inches. Amount of snow 

 Si inches. Winter commenced with a snow storm 

 on the 23d and 24th, when the depth of snow 

 was 5.i inches. The total amount of snow for the 

 month was 8.^ inches. The mountains were cov- 

 ered with snow on the fourth, and on the seventh 

 the first snow fell on the low lands. On the 22d, 

 there was a cold fog, or in other words, a storm 

 cloud rested on the earth, and as the cold in- 

 creased in consequence of the north-west wind, 

 frost gathered in beautiful crystals ,on the north- 

 west side of twigs of trees and other objects, 

 showing the beautiful process of the formation of 

 the snow-flake. 



December had a temperature of 21.02°, which 

 is 1.37° below the mean. There were two eve- 

 nings and two mornings when the mercury stood 

 below zero; the lowest was 11° below, on the 

 morning of the 25th. Rain and snow fell on 13 

 days, and snow on five days. The whole amount 

 of rain and melted snow was 2.3S inches, and the 

 amount of snow 7.i. There was a large amount 

 of frozen rain, and rain and snow together. 



January, 1859, had a temperature of 21.03°, 

 being 4.51'" above the mean. Rain and snow fell 

 on thirteen days, and snow on seven. The whole 



amount of rain was 2.81 inches, and of snow 14:^. 

 The most remarkable feature of the month was 

 the three cold days. 9th, 10th and 11th, being 

 the coldest days of the whole winter. The mer- 

 cury on the 10th stood at -27° at 7, A. M., -20° 

 at 2, P. M., and -24° at nine, P. M., making a 

 mean of 23.66" below zero during the day, which 

 is about 4° colder than the coldest day within 

 six years. Aside from these three days and the 

 following morning, the mercury did not sink be- 

 low zero during the month. 



February had a mean temperature of 23.64°, 

 which was 4.63° above the average of the past 

 six years, but was 3.42° colder than 1857. The 

 mercury s'unk only twice below zero during the 

 month. Rain and snow fell on eight days, and 

 snow on six. The whole amount of rain and melt- 

 ed snow was 1.39 inches, and of snow 14|J. There 

 was an aurora of consideralile brightness on the 

 22d, which began between .six and seven, P. M., 

 and became obscured by clouds a little before 

 eight o'clock. It was a diff'use light without rays 

 or streamers, with a bright red border in the 

 north-west. 



Marcli has been the mildest month of tlie same 

 name during the past six years. Its temperature 

 was 34.31°, which was 7.79 warmer than the mean 

 of the six. Rain fell on sixteen days, and snow on 

 three. The amount of rain was 3.95 inches, and 

 of snow Zh- The ice disappeared in Otter Creek 

 on the 15th, and the flood was highest on the 

 20th. The birds arrived a few days earlier than 

 usual, and uttered their cheerful notes as the 

 harbingers of spring. Although March leaves the 

 earth bare of vegetation, yet the buds are swollen, 

 and the signs of the time- indicate an early spring. 



The amount of water which has fallen during 

 the past six months is 16.95 inches, and of snow 

 48.37 inches. The two wettest months were Oc- 

 tober and March, while the most snow fell in 

 January and February. 



Although the prosperity of the farmer does 

 not depend upon the conditions of the past six 

 months to a great extent, yet there are some 

 things worth recording, while to the man of sci- 

 ence, all seasons are alike interesting, for he 

 wants to study the laws of elementary distur- 

 bance, and gain a knov/ledge of those eternal 

 principles, which produce change in the earth 

 and in the elements around it. D. BuCKLAND. 



Brandon, Vt., April 4, 1859. 



For the New England Farmer. 



THE WAY TO DESTROY CANADA 

 THISTLES. 



In meadows, cut them about the 20th of Au- 

 gust, or after they have gone to seed. At that 

 time, the top has drawn from the roots so much 

 for its support, that it leaves the root almost ex- 

 hausted, and would die were it not for the shel- 

 ter and protection which the top affords against 

 the fall rains. At this stage of the thistle, you 

 will find that the stalk near its roots, and a part 

 of the roots are hollow, and I infer that the wet 

 getting into it, is what kills it. It is all folly to 

 suppose that plowing, hoeing or niowing, at any 

 season of the year will destroy thistles unless 

 full grown. I have found that cutting the tops 

 of young thistles, with the scythe, or hoe, serves 



