22 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



celestial sugar makers, having a special regard 

 for our repvitation for veracity, sent another show- 

 er of the same sort in the same neighborhood, 

 which covered the ground for miles with sugar. 

 We call it sugar, because it looks, feels and tastes 

 like sugar, and nothing else, and we know no bet- 

 ter name for it. 



Whether it is solidified honey-dew, the saccha- 

 rine juice of the sugar pine, taken up, brought 

 from afar and dropped in crystals by some atmo- 

 spheric hocus jJocus, or the leakings from celestial 

 refinery, we do not pretend to say. We saw three 

 small boxes of the article, and have one of them 

 now before us. Some of the specimens before us 

 are three-fourths of an inch long, and of the di- 

 ameter of a small goose-quill. One person at 

 Clear Lake made half a gallon of fine syrup by 

 dissolving these crystals." 



For the New England Farmer. 

 THE SEASON AND THE CHOPS. 



Mr. Editor : — After the growing season is 

 completed, and the crops all gathered in, it may 

 be well to look back and recount those meteor- 

 ological phenomena of the past, which have 

 brought about those results on which the farmer 

 depends for his prosperity. The five months of 

 the growing season, from May to September in- 

 dusive, have been one degree and eighty-three 

 hundredth (1.83) colder than the average of the 

 same months in the four preceding years, and 

 one degree colder than last year, the coldest of 

 the four ; while rain has been quite abundant — 

 twenty-two inches having fallen in the five months. 

 In May there fell five inches and sixty-four hun- 

 dredths, (5.64) ; June, 5.50 ; July, 3.93 ; August, 

 5.19 ; September, 1.75. While last year. May, 

 June and July were rather dry, and August ex- 

 cessively wet. The first thunder was heard on 

 the 28th of IMay. Thunder was frequent through 

 June and July, and but little in August and Sep- 

 tember. The first light frost occurred on the 

 morning of September 7th, and the first frost 

 hard enough to kill vegetables, on the 30th, 

 which was not veiy severe. 



There has been five months this year already 

 colder than the same months in any of the four 

 preceding years, namely, January, April, June, 

 July and September, while February has been the 

 only month warmer than any of the four prece- 

 ding years. 



The first twenty days of June were character- 

 ized by a loAv temperature and wet weathei". We 

 had no frost in June; but a temperature fi-equent- 

 ly bordering on frost, which kept corn in a back- 

 ward state. We had no east Avind to blast the 

 fruit blossoms, except a light aspiration on the 

 evening of the last day of May. June had a 

 mean temperature of 60.43 degrees, being 4.49 

 degrees colder than the mean of the four preced- 

 ing years, and 2.20 degrees colder than 1856, the 

 coldest of the four, llain fell on sixteen days. 



July had a mean temperature of 69.42 deg., 

 being 0.88 colder than the mean of the four pre- 

 ceding years, and 2.62 deg. warmer than 1853. 

 Its maximum heat of 88 degrees, occurred on the 

 15th, and was three degrees colder than the ex- 

 treme of 1856. Rain fell on sixteen days. The 

 temperatvu'e afi'ected the corn crop imfavorably. 



by keeping it in a backward state, while it pre- 

 served its vital energies for the succeeding 

 months. 



August had a mean temperature of 65.35 deg., 

 which was more favorable, though a little colder 

 than the mean of the four preceding years, and 

 nearly two degrees warmer than last year. Rain 

 fell on sixteen days, b^t much less in quantity 

 than last year. The favorable weather of this 

 month redeemed the corn ci-op from destruction, 

 or there would have been a total failure, as in 

 1816. It is a singular coincidence that rain 

 sholild fall on an equal number of days in three 

 successive months. 



September had a mean temperature of 57.13 

 degrees, and Avas 1.50 degrees colder than the 

 four preceding years, with a little less than the 

 average amount of rain. Rain fell on ten days. 

 The lowest temperature was 33 degrees, on the 

 morning of the 30th, when the first hard frost 

 occurred ; previous to this time there was not 

 frost enough to kill tender vegetables, and con- 

 sequently corn had a good opportunity to ripen. 

 Corn is much less than an average crop ; although 

 well ripened, the ears are short and poorly filled. 

 There lias probably not been a more unfavorable 

 season in this vicinity since 1816. Wheat has 

 been a partial failure. The weevil and the rust 

 have done their Avork of destruction to a great 

 extent, but there is a new enemy in the field — a 

 small striped Avorm about one-tenth of an inch 

 long, perforates the kernel at the germ, after the 

 kernel is groAvn, and Avhile in a milky state, and 

 destroys the flour, Avhile the kernel retains its 

 original shape. Although tliis insect has done 

 but little damage, and has been noticed by Icaa', 

 yet it may be Avell to record the fact, as it may 

 prove a formidable enemy in coming years. Its 

 name, history and habits are all involved in ob- 

 scurity. The perfect insect is unknoAviT. I have 

 seen but a single larva, out I examined the crop 

 at harvest, and witnessed their depredations, but 

 they Avere gone. Can you or any of the readers 

 of the Farmer give more light on the subject ? 



No crop this year has yielded more bountifully 

 than oats. No enemy destroys the crop, and 

 the low temperature and wet Aveather were con- 

 genial to their groAvth. 



Potatoes are beloAV a medium crop. Although 

 the season has been a wet one, potatoes have not 

 attained their usual groAvth. The rot in many in- 

 stances has done considerable damage, but not 

 much more than usual, and at present' there ap- 

 pears to be no scarcity. 



The grass crop Avas excellent in groAvth, but 

 owing to the Avet Aveather it sustained mucli dam- 

 age in curing, besides losing a portion of its gum 

 in the groAving season, so that in nutritious qual- 

 ities it may not much exceed a medium crop. 



There is a moderate crop of fruit, and of the 

 various kinds; apples are the most abundant, be- 

 ing sufficient in quantity to supply the demand. 

 Plums are nearly a total failure, for nearly the 

 whole crop was destroyed by the curculio. Grapes 

 are a fair crop. AValnuts, butternuts and some 

 Avild fruits are remarkably abundant. 



Among the periodical phenomena, we notice 

 the appearance of various kinds of migratory 

 birds. Blue-birds qippeared March 17th; Robins, 

 March 26th ; Whip-poor-Avills, May 5th ; and 

 •Barn Swallows, May 9th. Grass, first appearance 



