NATURAL APPEARANCES 



IN JANUARY. 



" Stern Winter's icy breath, intensely keen, 

 Now chills the blood, and withers every green. 

 Bright shines the azure sky serenely fair, 

 Or driving snows obscure the turbid air." 



CIVILIZED nations in general have agreed to date 

 the commencement of the year on the first of Janu- 

 ary, within a few days after the winter solstice, or 

 shortest day, which takes place on the 21st or 22d 

 of December. In- the month of January, the wea- 

 ther, in the British islands, is commonly either a 

 clear, dry frost, or fog and snow, occasionally inter- 

 mingled with rain. Nothing can be more wonder- 

 ful than the -effects of frost, which, in the spac,-. of a 

 single night, stops the running stream in its course,, 

 and converts the lake, that was curled by every 

 breeze, into a firm plain. This property of frost 

 produces a beneficial effect to the farmer; for the 

 hard clods of the ploughed fields are loosened and 

 broken to pieces by the swelling of the water within 

 them when it freezes, and thus the earth is prepared 

 for receiving the seed in spring ; while, 



. " The frost-concocted gTebe, 



Draws in abundant vegetable sonl, 

 And gathers vigour for the coming year.'* 

 Y 2 



