1851. 



THE GENESEE FARMER. 



163 



A SUMMARY OF THB METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVA- 

 TIONS MADE AT ROCHESTER, 1850. 



BY L. WF.THERKL. 



If 



It will be remembered by the reader, that the spring 

 of 1850 was very cold and backward — more so than 

 any one for about twenty years, as far back as any 

 register of the weather made here could be traced. 

 The average mean temperature of the year, from 

 1095 observations, is shown to be 47,13 degrees. 

 The temperature of the spring months, 40.05 deg.; 

 summer months, 69.75 deg.; fall months, 50.76 deg,; 

 winter months, '27.60 deg. 



The warmest diiy in the year, July 17th — the aver- 

 age temperature of the day, from three observations, 

 83 deg. The coldest day, Feb. 4 — 9 deg. The 

 mercury on June 19ih, rose to 94 deg. the highest 

 during the year. The lowest was 4 deg. above zero, 

 on Februarv 4lli — making the greatest annual range 

 90 deg.. 



The mean height of barometric column, 29.44 in- 

 ches. The same for the last ten years, 29.55 inches. 

 The mercury in the barometric tube was the highest 

 Feb. 6, at 7, A. M., when it stood, 30.17 inches — 

 the lowest, May 17th, at 7 A. M., 28.83 inches — 

 showing the greatest annual range to be 1.34 inches. 



The amount of rain and me'ted snow was 38.46S 

 inches, distributed as follows : January, 3.033 in.: 

 February, 1.948 in.; March, 1.679 in.; \fn\, 2.560 

 in.; May, 2.867 in.; June, 1.837 in.; July, 5.969 in.; 

 August, 1.929 in.; September, 2.951 in.: October, 

 5.058 in.; November, 3 355 in,; and December, 

 6.282 in. 



Direction of the wind — north, 19^ days ; northeast, 

 43| days ; east, 14| days ; southeast, 19^ days ; 

 south, 21 J days; southwest, 69| days; west, 71 

 days ; and northwest, 96, The prevailing wind, 

 northwest. 



The number of fair days, 158J ; the number of 

 cloudy, 206^ ; the number en which rain fell, 119 : 

 snow, 69 ; rain and snow, 11 ; whole number on 

 which rain and snow fell, 199. 



The first frost, September 15 ; first fall of snow, 

 October 23. 



The season was one of extraordinary productive- 

 ness. The cold weather terminated about the 4th 

 of June, after which the summer was very warm 

 until about the 20th of August, when there were a 

 few very cool days — frost was seen in various low- 

 lands in Massachusetts. After these few cool days, 

 the weather became warm again, and continued so 

 until vegetation had come to the perfection of matu- 

 rity. Thus the latter harvest, like the former, was 

 bountiful, notwithstanding the prospects were so for- 

 bidding on the first day of June. lie that refused to 

 plow and sovj because of the cold, shared not the 

 plentiful harvest of the diligent and trusting hus- 

 bandman. 



GouBER Pea, or Pea-nut. — Where the climate 

 and soil suit, this is a valuable crop. The nuts are 

 capital for hogs and the haulm makes excellent hay. 

 In some parts of Tennessee, Georgia and Alabama it 

 is ail agricultural staple, and extensively grown for 

 export. The yield is from 25 to 50 bushels per acre ; 

 on good land 40 being about the average. They are 

 quoted in Nashville at from 75 to 100 cents a bushel. 

 They have been grown in Genesee county, Western 

 New York, but flourish best where it is warm enough 



to bring sweet potatoes to perfection. A correspon- 

 dent writing from Hickman county, Tennessee says ; 

 " Thj ground is w^ell prepared by plowing and pul- 

 verizing, and the peas are planted in ridges or hills 

 and cultivated like other hoed crops. The peas are 

 produced in the ground, the tops ruiniing over the 

 same. About the last of September or first of Octo- 

 ber, they are ripe and ready for harvesting. This is 

 done by first carefully cutting oft' the tops which are 

 cured for hay. A plow then runs round a row of 

 peas turning a furrow away from it, and then they 

 can be lifted by hand, and after shaking the dirt off, 

 are left to dry in the sun on the vines. If the groimd 

 is wet, they should be picked and taken to some dry 

 place to cure." 



In Georgia, it is common to let hogs gather a good 

 share of the crop, as they do peas and oats in some of 

 the western states. Where ground peas are a mar- 

 ket crop, the gathering and curing are the principal 

 expense. A light, sandy loam is most favorable to 

 their production. 



MATERIAL FOR FENCING. 



FenciiNG is such an expensive item in the farm ac- 

 count, that farmers are beginning to bestir themselves 

 to find some cheaper mode of fencing than that 

 in general use. The live, or hedge fence, and the 

 W'ire fence, are the modes generally recommended, 

 and each system has its friends and advocates, v\'ho 

 are trying experiments — and time and practice, the 

 great tests of theories, will ere long make known the 

 better way. We have (m our table many communi- 

 cations, asking for information, and giving the plans 

 of their several authors, and the results of their ex- 

 periments. The following is from Benton, JY. Y : 



Mks.sus. Editors : — Having been a reader of the Farmer 

 fur a few years, I have been both plea.se(i and instrucled. 

 In an especial manner I have a deep interest in what has 

 heen said about live fences. The time is not far distant 

 when fencing materials will be in great demand, and some 

 are beginning to feel it already. Although my father's farm 

 has plenty of rail timber for the present, he has thought lit 

 to C()mn>8nce raising hedges, so that when he needs them he 

 will have them. The object of writing this is to tind out 

 which is the best material. We have some of the English 

 Hawthorn growing, but it is afl'ected bya kind of white lice, 

 something like those which are generally found on beech 

 trees : whether they will injure them or not we do not know. 

 Some recommend Honey Locust very highly. 



I would like to know your opinion co,acerning Buckthorn 

 — whether it will make a duralde fence and a good one, and 

 when best to be planted for a fence — in the tali or spring? 

 and where can the seed be obtained ? Also, I should like to 

 know whether the Osage Orange will answer for fencing in 

 this climate. I would Hke to know, Messrs. Editors, which 

 you would prefer if you were going to plant fsnces for your- 

 selves. Where can the materials for propagating be obtained 

 and at what pri(^e, and the best way of propagating ? If yon 

 will answer these inquiries through the Farmer, you will 

 oblige U. S. Crozier. — Benton, N. Y. 



The Hawthorn cannot be relied on for fencing. — 

 The best we have seen in this country is in the vi- 

 cinity of Geneva, in this slate, but they are not equal 

 to the English Hawthorn hedges. The native thorn 

 would be much better. The Honey Locu.=t will 

 make a good a and very strong hedge. The Buckthorn 

 also makes an excellent hedge. We cannot say at 

 the present tin.e that the Osage Orange will prove 

 entirely hardy, though we have seen the plants win- 

 ter in this section without the least apparent injury. 

 It is said that this plant proves entirely hardy in the 

 neighborhood of Boston. Our correspondent will 

 find all the information he needs in regard to the 



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