Chap. I. ^?L1MATK^ SEASONS, &C. i5 



them, the face of the country, in summer, is very 

 fine. From December to May, there is not a speck 

 of green. No green grass and turnips and wheat 

 and rye and rape, as in England. The frost comes 

 and sweeps all vegetation and verdant existence 

 from the face of the earth. The wheat and rye 

 live ; but, they lose all their verdure. Yet the 

 state of things in June, is, as to crops, and fruits, 

 much about what it is in England ; fot*, when things 

 do begin to grow, they grow indeed ; and the gen- 

 eral harvest £ot grain (what we call corn) is a full 

 month earlier than in the South of England ! 



20. Having now given a sketch of the face of 

 the country, it only remains for me to speak in 

 this place of the Climate and Seasons, because I 

 shall sufficiently describe the Soil, when I come 

 to treat of my own actual experience of it. I do 

 not like, in these cases, general descriptions. In- 

 deed, they must be very imperfect ; and, there- 

 fore, I will just give a copy of a journal, kept by 

 myself, from the 5th of May, 1817, to the 20th 

 of April, 1818. This, it appears to me is the best 

 way of proceeding ; for, then, there can be no de- 

 ception J and, therefore, I insert it as follows : 



1817, 



May 5. Landed at New-York. 



6. Went over to Long Island. Very fine Azy, 

 warm as May in England. The Peach 

 trees going out of bloom. Plum trees in 

 full bloom. 



7. Cold, sharp, East wind, just like that 

 which makes the old debauchees in Lon- 

 don shiver and shake. 



8. A little frost in the night, and a warm day. 

 0. Cold in the shade and hot in the sun. 



iO. The weather has been dry for some time. 

 The grass is only beginning to grow a 

 litUe. 



