



Vol. XV., Second Series. 



ROCHESTER, K Y., FEBRUARY, 1854. 



THE GENESEE FARMER, 



A MONTHLY JOURNAL OP 



AGRICULTURE & HORTICULTURE. 



VOIiUaiE XV., SKCOND SBRIBS. 1854r. 



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>0R PROSrECTUS AND PREMIUMS, SEE LAST PAGE. 



AGRICULTURAL METEOROLOGY. 



In the Patent OfiBce Report for 1849, we called 

 the attention of those interested in the agricultural 

 literature of the United States to the importance of 

 cultivating the science of meteorology in its relations 

 to agi'iculture and horticulture. Since that time the 

 subject has gradually attracted the regards of the 

 earnest promoters of science in this country; and we 

 now have before us a most instructive and interesting- 

 pamphlet, emanating from the Smithsonian Institu- 

 tion, entitled " Chmate of the Summer of 1853 in its 

 Relations to the Agricultural Interests of the United 

 States. By Lorin Blodget, Assistant in Charge of 

 Meteorology." 



A moment's reflection will satisfy any well-informed 

 mind that temperature and rain are two of the most 

 important elements of agricultural production. The 

 record of these furnishes data of much value to prac- 

 tical farmers, as we will now attempt to demonstrate. 



In the climate of Great Britain the mean summer 

 temperature is barely sufficient to ripen wheat, rye, 

 oats,_ barley, and a few other cereals, but not maize 

 or rice — two important staples among American 

 cereals. This meteorological fact suggests the idea, 

 fully sustained by experience, that whenever the ther- 

 mometer indicates a general reduction in the tem- 

 perature of the months of April, May, June and 

 July, a short crop of wheat in England and Scotland 

 is inevitable. Had every wheat-grower in this coun 



try known the mean heat for an average of summers 

 in Great Britain, and the fact that the spring and 

 summer months for the year 1853 were considerably 

 colder than usual, a short crop in the British Islands 

 might have been inferred with great certainty. A 

 few cultivators, who study agricultural meterology aa 

 a part of their profession, took note of this deficiency 

 of solar heat in Western Europe, and predicted a 

 material rise in breadstuffs. Some of these scientific 

 observers held on to their crops, and now obtain from 

 fifty to seventy-five per cent, advance for the products 

 of their farms. The summer of 1853 was colder in 

 AVestern Europe than it has been in the present cen- 

 tury, save in the year 1816. In the year last named, 

 the summer was unusually cold in the LTnited States^ 

 as many of our older readers will bear witness. The 

 summer of 1853 in this country was the reverse of 

 that in Europe, it being uncommonly warm, and the 

 aggregate yield of crops unusually large. Hence, 

 we have a large surplus to export to England and 

 France, and are reaping a golden harvest. 



Deeply sensible of the value of trust-worthy me- 

 teorological statistics to all that produce grain, meat, 

 butter, cheese, cotton, sugar, rice and fruits, and to all 

 that deal in these great staples, we have done what 

 we could to induce the intelligent and patriotic gen- 

 tlemen connected with the Smithsonian Institution to 

 give their admirable and extensive meteorological 

 records an agricultural direction. 



That Institution deserves great credit for having 

 obtained so many reliable meteorological instrument^ 

 at no inconsiderable expense, for gratuitous distribu- 

 tion protty equally over this vast empire, to be used 

 by competent observers in collecting all needfd facta 

 bearing on this useful science. There is much force 

 in the following remarks of Mr. Blodget, as well aa 

 some reason to hope that these researches into the 

 climatic variations in the several States and territo- 

 ries in connection with the agiiculturaJ interests of 

 the republic, may be extended in fature: 



The system of Meteorological Observation from which 

 this imperfect summary of the conditions of the climate for 

 the year just passed has been prepared, is capable of much 

 greater definiteness of statement. The illustration of each 

 condition might be much more full and detailed, and the 

 discrimination of particular districts might be made more 

 clear. The number of those who contribute valuable in- 

 strumental observations for some part of the year, and in 

 form permitting comparisons of means for sonic months, is 

 near five hundred — an amount of definite climatic observ^v 

 tion without a paralleL This too is furnished for the mr" 



