66 



THE GENESEE FARMER. 



Notes on the Weather from December 15th to the 

 Middle of January, 1862.— The mean heat of the first 

 half of December, 1861, was 7.2° above the average for 

 24 years, or was 37.7°. The mean of the last half was 

 28.8°, or 3.5'' above the average. Hence, the mean heat 

 of December was 33.8°, or 5.2° above" the mean for 24 

 years. The lowest temperature of the last half was 11°, 

 on the 25th, and the highest was 54°, on the 19th. The 

 great body of wind has been from the west, or within 10° 

 or 15° on either side of west. Much has been cloudy ; 

 only two or three days chiefly clear. The canal was fro- 

 zen the second time on the 21st, and sleighing began on 

 the 24th, after rain, and snow, and hail, and wind, and on 

 Christmas, a cold and bright day, there was good sleigh- 

 ing, on an inch or two of snow and frozen rain, all of 

 which melted away in the afternoon and evening of the 

 26th, followed by high wind on the 27th. Water of the 

 month, only 1.38 inches. Cisterns begin to be too low, 

 and some are empty. The barometer made rapid changes 

 but was not very high nor very low. Its mean was about 

 29.5 inches. 



The following are some results for the year : From col- 

 lege observations the mean heat of the year is 47.16°; for 

 thirty years ending wi h 1861, 47.05°. Other observa- 

 tions give for the mean of the year here 46.9°. We may 

 take 47° as the average, very nearly. The water, rain and 

 anow, is for the year 34.80 inches and the average for 25 

 years is considerably less, viz.: 32.09 iuches. The year 

 has been characterized by high health, and abundant ag- 

 ricultural productions. The lowest temperature was 11° 

 below zero, February 8th, and the lowest mean was then, 

 1.3° below. The highest heat was 92°, August 4th, but 

 the hottest day was 82.3°, on July 8th. 



The bright comet that burnt out in full splendor on the 

 evening of July 2d, towards the northwest, was magnifi- 

 cent. It had passed its perihilion some days before, and, 

 of course, was diminishing in brightness. It was follow- 

 ed with telescopes into December, and was holding on its 

 southern course. 



1862 — January. — The first day was warm and cloudy, 

 the surface wind south, the clouds from southwest; snow 

 melted; temperature at 12 noon, 50°; before noon the 

 wind began to be strong, shower of rain at 1J p. m., end- 

 ing in hail and high wind; snow-squall at 2 to 2£ with a 

 gale, and temperature 40°; sun shone out, and at 3 p. m. 

 more snow and higher wind, and at 3.J the thermometer 

 stood at 33°. Violent gale and squalls through the night, 

 temperature at 9 p. m., 25°, and the wind from the west, 

 sweeping the storm along towards the Atlantic. The cold 

 increased daily to the 5th, when the lowest was one de- 

 gree. Even at Boston the temperature was 5° at 7 a. m., 

 and 14° at noon, and only 13° at 9 p. m. From the 5th 

 the cold decreased to the 9th, from which the weather was 

 moderate to the 12th, and the thermometer fell to 6° on 

 the 14th, giving us a cold day. The snow and rain ot the 

 12th, from the south-west, with some hail and change to 

 cold, gave us good sleighing on the 14th. The sleighing 

 before had been very poor, and the snow soon wore out iu 

 our streets. On the 15th the snow fell very early from 

 tin' south-east, two inches, perhaps, with hail at 5 a. m., 

 and on to 11, more or less, when the snow melted some, 

 sleighing good, aud with the cold snow-squall ia the eve- 



ning, and temperature 30°, and at 9 p. m., west wind, 

 better sleighing is indicated. 



The mean heat of this half of January is 29.9°, h 

 3.5° below the average for 25 years, and the same as 

 mean for this half last year. On the last, four days 

 barometer has shown a very uneasy state of the ati 

 phere: on the 12th, 28.87 inches; on the 13th, 29.88 

 the 14th, 30.03, and on the 15th, 29.08, at the same h 

 2 p. m., on each of the days. 



The weather has been favorable for business. The 



of pork, beef, and poultry, not to speak of cereals, 



market, indicates the farmers' activity, and, though 



prices are low, the current of money is very obvious, 



very gratifying. 



►•♦ 



More Good Pigs. — The Rev. G. A. Anderson, miss 

 ary to the Mohawks, Bay Quinte, C. W., writes us, in 

 erence to our notice of Mr. Ives' Earl of Sifton pigs ir 

 last number of the Genesee Farmer, that he had the i 

 osity to weigh a pair of his pigs, a cross between 

 Berkshire aud Yorkshire, that were eight weeks old, 

 they weighed, male 66 lbs., female 62 lbs. 



At the same age Mr. Ives' Earl of Siftons weig 

 male 65 lbs. and female 55 lbs. 



The reason we mentioned Mr. Ives' pigs was m< 

 to show how rapidly they increased in weight 



Mr. Anderson mentions that he killed a pig of thes 

 cross nine months old that weighed, when dressed, 34( 



Cider for Dyeing Purposes — A Hoax. — The re 

 that the Calico Manufacturers of Manchester were u 

 Cider to make fast colors for their printed cottons, t 

 out to be a hoax. The manufacturers deny using it. i 

 it is a fact that large quantities of cider have been 

 chased in Devonshire, and other cider districts of Engl 

 at greatly enhanced prices, the purchasers stating that 

 bought it for use in Manchester. This is true, but it 

 appears that it is used for making Champaigne! 



Good Pigs. — Mr. Joshua Calloway, Jr., of Stanle; 

 W., writes us, that seeiug the statement of the weigh 

 Middlesex pigs in the Genesee Farmer for October, he 

 induced to weigh seven of his thorough-bred " impr 

 Lancashires." They were ten weeks old, and weighe 

 the aggregate 517 lbs, or within a lb. of 74 lbs. « 

 This, he truly observes, beats the Middlesex pigs i 

 tioned in the Farmer. It should be stated, however, 

 the Middlesex are a small breed of pigs. 

 »•-. 



Two Eggs in One Day. — In the January number ol 

 Genesee Farmer, Mr. C. N. Bement says : " Some hens 

 lay one egg in three days ; some every other day ; ot 

 every day, and we have heard of one that laid two eg$ 

 one da;/." Mr. James Cox, of Wheatland, N. Y., infc 

 us that he had a hen that laid two eggs in one day, 

 early iu the moruing, and the other towards evening, 

 she did uot lay the next day. 



The Rurvl Annual and Horticultural Director 

 Benj. F. Bartolet, of Chester Co., Pa., writes : — "Iv 

 the present year's Rural Annual. The former six n 

 bers of the Rural Annual I had a year ago bound in 

 Book, and a nice little volume it is, containing everytl 

 a farmer wauts in a practical, concise form. I would 

 spare it for a pretty price." 



