264 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



JUNS 



leached — under the apprehension that they are 

 equally valuable for growing crops. It is very 

 clear, from Mr. H.'s experiments, that no reliable 

 conclusions can be deduced from theory alone. 

 The same gentleman, if I do not mistake, has re- 

 cently expressed a like opinion as to analyses of 

 soils. So fast are the improvements of the pres- 

 ent day, that it takes as much care to unlearn 

 vhat is erroneously stated, as to find out, by ac- 

 tual trial, what is correct. Essex. 

 Jjyrll, 1858. 



WELLS' GKASS SEED SOWER. 



Some three or four weeks since we spoke of 

 this Seed Sower in general terms, not then hav- 

 ing had an experimental knowledge of its ability 

 to sow grass seed quickly and well. Since then 

 we have used it to stock several acres with grass 

 seeds of various kinds, and found it to answer 

 the purpose admirably for Avhich it is designed. 

 It is always difficult to sow gi-ass seed evenly, un- 

 der favorable circumstances, but when it is windy, 

 or it is to be done by inexperienced or unskilful 

 hands, not only a loss is incurred by a waste of 

 seed, but by having some portions of the field 

 overstocked while others are left bare, thus ren- 

 dering both unproductive. A money loss is felt, 

 and a loss of that just and proper culture in 

 which any good farmer feels a proper and hon- 

 est pride. 



The use of Wells' Seed Sower will prevent 

 these occurrences ; it scatters the seeds evenly 

 and with rapidity, so that an acre may be well 

 sowed as fast as a man can comfortably Avalk over 

 it at distances about nine feet apart. In order 

 that the whole ground shall be covered, it is well 

 to let the sower lap a little at each succeeding 

 breadth. 



A single sower will answer for a neighborhood 

 of a dozen persons, and it is so light that a child 

 can carry it from place to place. For sale by 

 Nourse, Mason & Co., Quincy Hall. Price $4. 



The Gapes in Chickens. — A correspondent 

 says : Tell those of your readers who are inter- 

 ested in raising chickens, that a small pinch of 

 gunpowder, given to a chicken with the gapes, 

 will effect a sure and complete cure in from one 

 to three hours' time, and leave the chicken 

 healthy and hearty. — Cal. Farmer. 



For the New Enj^land Farmer. 

 REVIEW OP THE FALL AND WINTER. 



Mr. Editor : — After the rigors of winter have 

 passed, and the time of singing of birds has ar- 

 rived, and nature wears a more congenial aspect, 

 it may be well to recount those meteorological 

 conditions which have been the main features 

 and governing principles of the past winter. A 

 winter not of extreme heat nor of extreme cold, 

 but a winter whose changes of temperature 

 have been congenial, for the climate of the green 

 hills of Vermont. Although its heat and its cold 

 have not been excessive, yet the quantity of snow 

 has been extremely small, and so has the quanti- 

 ty of rain during the winter months. 



In this review of the Avinter I will include the 

 autumnal months to October, to the time when I 

 closed the review of the summer of 1857. The 

 rains continued through October, and two inches 

 of snow fell on the 20th. The whole amount of 

 rain and melted snow was 5. GO inches, and the 

 temperature was 44.95 degrees, it being colder 

 than the fovir preceding years by 2.39 degrees, 

 and is the coldest October since 1853. Its ex- 

 treme daily mean temperature was 58. G6 and 30.66. 



November was a mild month. Its mean tem- 

 perature was 36.85 degrees, which is 2.58 above 

 the mean. The storms were frequent and light. 

 There was 2.14 inches of rain and one inch of 

 snow. 



December was unusually mild. Its temperature 

 was 27.70, and was 4.64 above the mean. There 

 was 2.52 inches of rain and 7.50 of snow. Storms 

 were frequent and light, and winter l)egan so 

 gradually that the time of its commencement 

 cannot be correctly stated, as we had little or no 

 winter weather through the month. 



Jamiary, 1858. This has been the mildest 

 January for many years. Its temperature Avas 

 24.30, being 6.82 degrees above the mean of the 

 five preceding years, and 15.61 deg. warmer than 

 last year, which was the coldest of the last six 

 years. The amount of precipitation was 1.83 

 inches of rain and melted snow, and 7.25 of 

 snow. The highest daily mean was 43.66 deg., 

 and the lowest, zero. The murcury stood below 

 zero only a part of one day during the month. 



February was rather a cold month. Its tem- 

 perature was 15.51 deg., being 4.20 below the 

 mean, and 11.55 colder than February last year, 

 which was the warmest of the six. The whole 

 amount of water which fe'l during the month 

 was .61 of an inch, which "••.-.s produced by 5.50 

 inches of snow, but no rain. The thermometer 

 stood at or below zero eleven mornings and four 

 evenings, but did not sink to zero at 2 V. M. 

 during the month. The mean was below zero 

 five days, and the greatest extreme was 13 deg. 

 below zero, on the morning of the 16{h. 



Although March has been a mild month, yet it 

 has been about one degree colder than the mean ; 

 and the coldest of the past six years, with the ex- 

 ception of 1856, which was about four degrees 

 colder than the present. We had 1.48 inches of 

 rain and five inches of snow during the month, 

 while last year we had 2.29 of water and 10.75 of 

 snow ; thus showing that our storms have been 

 far less this year, which gives the month a more 

 pleasant appearance. 



We have had 27 inches of snov/ and 14.18 



