526 



NEW ENGLAND FAKMER. 



Nov. 



the fairs. They not only criticise the arrange- 

 ments, but they ridicule the show. Well, let them. 

 Society must drag along the dead carcases of 

 such ones. They may as well vent their spleen 

 upon the fairs and their management, as upon 

 their neighbors. Let them chafe and fret. The 

 world gets along with them, and could get along 

 without them. — JV. H. Journal of Agriculture. 



For the Neic England Farmer. 



INFLUENCE OF THE MOON UPON THE 

 WEATHER. 



Mr. Editor : — I have just read an interesting: 

 article from your Springfield correspondent, J. 

 A. A., and the candor, good sense and informa- 

 tion pervading it induces me to notice it. Hib 

 remarks respecting the influence of the moon 

 on crops, long vines, iS:c., are just. His average 

 of observations on high and low moon for the 

 year does not seem to favor either theory. Still, 

 I wish he would make his average for the five 

 successive summer months for a serits of years, 

 commencing with May, and let us have the re- 

 sult. But there is one remark to which I cannot 

 yet assent ; that "early and late frosts did not 

 often occur when the moon was high, but as of 

 ten when it was low, and as often at new moon 

 as at full moon." The last clause militates most 

 against r.iy own experience, though I regret that 

 I have not the precise facts at command. 



In the latitude where I reside we rarely ever 

 have a frost in September, till the full moon, and 

 if we can pass by that, we are not usually trou- 

 bled with a killing frost till the full moon in Oc- 

 tober. Exceptions I know do occur, but I be- 

 lieve I have stated the general rule. I can give 

 no theory ; nor would I be too presumptuous in 

 opposing an opinion so carefully presented by 

 your correspondent. I am inclined to think that 

 these differences are more marked where I reside, 

 in the vicinity of the White Mountain range, and 

 at an elevation of 650 feet above tide water, than 

 in Springfield. His closing remarks respecting 

 a series of observations extending over a term 

 of years are valuable, and it is just such facts as 

 he has presented that will decide many of these 

 now unsettled questions. His observations, sev- 

 enty-four in number, on the mean temperature 

 of high and low moon, giving almost three de- 

 grees colder in high than in low moon, is as wide 

 a difference as I should have expected, for even 

 one degree too low in sometimes pretty trying to 

 the farmer. 



It is now well understood that the moon does 

 influence the temperature in the upper regions 

 of the atmosphere. Prof. Piazzi Smith made 

 experiments on the Peak of Teneriffe two years 

 ago, at the heights of eight and ten thousand feet, 

 which settled conclusively this point. Still, there 

 are so many modifying circumstances connected 

 with the whole subject that it is not best to be 

 too positive. 



"Morlest doubt 

 Is called the beacon of the wise." 



Then again it is a question how much influence 

 the moon has in promoting crystallization in the 

 freezing process. 



I wish your correspondent would give us the 

 average of the temperature of high and low moon 



for a number of years past in September and Oc- 

 tober. Also answer this question : Do we sel- 

 dom have a frost till the full moon, or two or 

 three days after in September? And do we not 

 almost invariably have a frost at this time ? I 

 speak of the latitude of forty-five degrees. Per- 

 haps he may not have it cold enough at his local- 

 ity, so far south. I believe here is a legitimate 

 and fruitful field of inquiry, and without know- 

 ing J. A. A., I do not hesitate to pronounce him 

 the man to pursue the subject. 



I believe a book might he written on Meteor- 

 ology, adapted to agriculture, containing essen- 

 tially the following chapters : A description of 

 the different forms of clouds, and their indications 

 of the weather. The barometer, including not 

 only the mercuriil instrument, but all m.-chanicil 

 contrivances to indicate the weight and changes 

 of the atmosphere. The influence of the moon 

 on the weather, and on the temperature of the 

 earth at its difi'erent periods of revolution. The 

 instinctive conduct of plants and animals, espe- 

 cially just before a storm. A consideration of 

 the combination of various causes in effecting at- 

 mospheric changes, miscellmeous topics and con- 

 clusions. The merely negative results of such a 

 work would be valuable, especially on the pre- 

 vailing opinions in rega-'d to the moon. 



Bethel, Me., Sept. 26, 1859. x. T. T. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 THE LA-WTON BLdLCKBERRY. 



I think the reply to your Newbury, Vt., "Sub- 

 scriber," about the Lawton blackberry, partially 

 erroneous. From experience, I am satisfied that 

 Massachusetts is not too far mrth to grow the 

 Lawton blackberry successfully It is an enor- 

 mous hearer, and the vines grow to a geat size. 

 I have them now sixteen feet in height, and lat- 

 erals three to five feet in length, all the growth 

 of this season. I had berries, fully ripe, previt)U3 

 to the first of August, and yesterday 1 found 

 some fine fruit from the same vines. 



When fully ripe they are very sweet, and the 

 flavor is not equalled by any l)eiry that I ever 

 tasted. I measured ime btrry — and many oth- 

 ers were as large — and found it three and three- 

 fourth inches in circumference ! 



Many people call tbtm sour — so is other un- 

 ripe fruit. They should never be plucked till a 

 gentle touch of the finger will cause them to 

 drop from the stem, which will be many days af- 

 ter they are perfectly black. They are illy calcu- 

 lated for marketing, for when fully ripe they 

 cannot be carried to market in a state fit to be 

 seen, — even in the most careful manner ; more 

 wine than berries would be for sale. Please call 

 upon me next August, and 1 will satisfy you that 

 all of the above is correct. A Subscriber. 



jVew Bedford, Sept. 24, 1859. 



Remarks. — We sincerely hope we are mista- 

 ken in saying that "Vermont and Massachusetts 

 are too far north to ripen the Lawton blackber- 

 ry." AVe have had ample demonstration of its 

 rapid growing and great bearing qualities, but 

 never procured a ripe berry. We cultivated it 

 carefully for three successive years, in a warm 



