260 PECULIARITIES OF 



been remarkable for its mildness ; and it is rather curious 

 that, in the century following, the winter of 1761 should 

 have been equally notable for the mildness of its tem- 

 perature. The winter of 1795 seems to have partaken 

 of none of the severity usual to the season ; and the 

 summer of 1765 was remarkable for its heat and dry- 

 ness, and all vegetation being influenced by their 

 effects, brought forth fruits and flowers in unusual per- 

 fection. 



But perhaps the year 1825, taking all its circum- 

 stances, is the most extraordinary to be found in our 

 annals. The winter of 1824-5 had been mild and wet; 

 the ensuing spring dry, but with keen winds and frosty 

 mornings, which greatly injured the fine blossoms that 

 appeared on our fruit-trees ; and the continued and 

 profuse nightly fall of the honey-dew was quite un- 

 usual : the leaves of the oak, the cherry, and the plum, 

 were constantly smeared and dropping with this clammy 

 liquor, which, falling from the foliage on the ground, 

 blackened it as if some dark fluid had been spilled 

 upon it : the leaves of most of our stone fruits curled 

 up, covered with aphides, and became deciduous ; and 

 their young shoots were destroyed by the punctures of 

 these insects that clustered on them. This honey-dew 

 continued to fall till about the middle of July, affording 

 an abundant supply of food to multitudes of bees, moths, 

 and other insects which swarmed about the trees. We 

 rarely begin cutting our grass before the first week in 

 July ; but in consequence of the heat of June in this 

 year, it was so drawn up, that much hay was made and 

 carried by the 20th of June, which commonly is not 

 accomplished till August. Our crops on good ground 

 were considered as fair, though in general the chilling 

 season of May had occasioned a deficiency ; but all our 

 clover crops and artificial grasses were harvested in the 

 finest order, producing good-sized ricks and mows ; yet 

 their bulk was delusive, the provender cutting out 

 light and strawy. The heat and drought continued, with 

 very partial and slight showers of rain, all June and 

 July ; nor had we any thing like serviceable rain till 

 the second of August. In consequence our grass lands 



