160 



THE GENESEE FARMER. 



The Weatheb. — The weather must be a subject of daily 

 interest. So numerous and important are its relations to 

 the pursuits of men, that it would be more than stupidity 

 to be unaffected by its changes. Still, the particulars can 

 not be retained in our memories. We have no reliable 

 re.^ource but the records of meteorologists. These give 

 us the variations of heat, or temperature, the great moving 

 power ; and the fall of water, the next great element of 

 ihiportauce. Living in a country of such variation in the 

 seasons, and with the obvious adaptation of the seasons to 

 the welfare of man, we can not but expect great uniformity 

 of climate amid the great variety. Though men seem dis- 

 posed to consider chiefly the variations and to magnify 

 tlie extremes, the records of meteorology compel us to 

 believe in the great uniformity of action of all the agen- 

 cies that can affect the climate of any particular place or 

 section of country. With all the diversities of climate 

 over the earth and in the different zones, whether torrid, 

 temperate, or frigid, of every habitable region it has been 

 true, and it is true in this year, that "seed-time and har- 

 vest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day 

 and night, shall not cease." 



Consider some of these results : 



The average heat at Rochester for 22 vears is 47.4* 



" " " of the whole State is nearly 46.7° 



• " " at Albany is 43.4" 



The mean heat of the several months is 



At lior.heiter. For thf State-. London, Eng. 



•Tanuarv, 2.'3.4 24.7 36.4 



February !M.5 24.1 38.3 



March, 81.8 83.4 42.0 



April, 44.5 45.3 49.8 



^iay,. 66.9 56.2 55.2 



June, 66.5 6,5.6 58.9 



July 77.2 69.7 61.4 



Angust, 68.6 68.6 59.1 



September, 60.5 59.9 56.5 



October 47.9 48.8 49.9 



November 87.? 87.7 42.7 



December, 27.8 27.4 39.1 



Our temperature is very near that of the mean heat of 

 the State. The extreme annual range is near three de- 

 grees above or below the average, though the common vari- 

 ation is less than two degrees in the annual temperature. 



The average beat, for the twenty-two past years, of the 



Spring months, is **'^° 



Summer " 70 8 



Autumo " 4S.S 



Winter " 26.9 



The average of the months, for forty-seven years, at 

 London, as given in the above table, where the annual 

 mean is 49.9°, shows a great difference. 



The average quantity of water which fell here, in rain 

 and melted snow, for the twenty-two past years, is S2.2 

 inches. The average of the State, about 34.9 inches. 



The average water here, for the several months, is for 

 Jnn, Feb. Mar. Apr. 3fay June July Aug. Sfp. Oct Nov. Dee. 

 2.05 1.93 1.93 2.33 8.03 3.27 8.17 2.60 8.29 ai9 2.88 2.58 

 The average for the 



Spring month* la 7.2.8 inches. 



Summer " 9.04 " 



Autumn " 9.81 " 



Winter " «.5T " 



The water of 1858 exceeded the mean by 8.7 inche 

 The average water at London, Eng., for forty years, is 2C 

 inches, and has varied from 12 to 24 inches. 



Weather for 1859. — January. — January was unusual 

 mild, though a cold period prevailed from the 8th to tl 

 11th, and the thermometer went down to 12o below zer 

 No sleighing. 



Fehrvary. — February was cooler in the first half, ai 

 much warmer in the last half; so that the average w 

 near 5° above the mean for twenty-two years. The co 

 was not lower than 11" above zero in the month. The 

 two months have been very warm and pleasant. In 18J 

 January was warm as last January, but February was thi 

 much colder. Very little sleighing this month. Quanti 

 of water below the average for both January and Febr 

 ary. Very little ice has been formed on our waters tlH 

 winter. 



March. — March was another warm month — more tha 

 1''' above the average, and the lowest was 14° above zei* 

 Water rather above the average. Storm of rain and snc 

 on the 9th, which carried off the snow from the easte 

 part of this State and of New England, thus closing 1 

 sleighing which had continued for 99 days in much > 

 that section, and for 106 days in some parts of it ; ai 

 had been long at Utica and in St. Lawrence county, 

 Saratoga, and far north into Canada. On the 18th ai 

 19th was a violent storm of snow and rain and a hea- 

 gale, in which the barometer fell lower than for mai 

 years at least, here being 28.14 inches — nearly half i 

 inch lower than known at Rochester before. No depth i 

 ice in March. Robins and early birds appeared in tl 

 first week of the month ; blossoms of the soft maple < 

 the 12th, and abundant a few days later — about t» 

 weeks earlier than usual. First steamboat from Ne 

 York to Albany on the 9th. 



The heat of each of the first three months of 1842 a litt 

 exceeded that of the past three months, and the averaf 

 was of course a little greater. All the indications of tl 

 warm season, as birds, flowers, flies, and butterfles, we: 

 equal to those of this year. The average heat of the fir 



three mouths was 



Jan^y. FtVy. March. 



Inl842, 29.61° 81.08° 39.77<> 



» 1859, 28.85 80.00 89.30 



In no other year, for twenty-two years, does the heat c 

 these three months so nearly agree. 



First Half of April. — The mean of this part of April i 

 40.93°, and the mean the same half for twenty -two yeai 

 is 40.94°. This is not so warm as last year for these tw 

 weeks, but is warmer than in 1857 and 185G. Adequal 

 rain has fallen in the last six weeks. Grass and whet 

 seem to be starting earlier than common, and the latter i 

 now very fine in the surrounding country. The farme 

 can begin his agricultural operations rather earlier iha 

 usual. It is yet to be seen, as we apprehend, whethe 

 vegetation will be more advanced at the end of this meat 

 than it was at the close of April last year. 



The small quantity of ice formed over the country th' 

 past season is remarkable. Importation of ice from th 

 Hudson, it is said, is resolved upon for the supply of ou 

 citizens. Even at Marquette, on Lake Superior, lat. 4 

 dcg. 82 min., very little ice has been formed. No othe 

 proof is needed of the unusual warmth of the last winter 



