Observations upon the Season of 1849. 15 



satisfactory theory with regard to this matter ; and the most 

 that is allowable is such a presumption as the facts in our 

 possession will best warrant. A consideration of this sub- 

 ject, and other purposes, requires a brief epitome of the past 

 year, including therein the last month of 1848, or rather the 

 mention of some of its most noticeable characteristics. 



The weather of December, 1848, until the 21st of that 

 month, was very warm, especially from the 15th to the 20th, 

 when a Clematis Sieboldw in my garden made new shoots 

 more than two inches in length ; but on the 22d and 23d 

 there was a snow-storm, and on the 24th it became very 

 cold, the mercury on the morning of that day standing at 

 4° below 0. 



In the course of January, 1849, the mercury fell to below 

 on three different mornings ; the lowest point reached (in 

 this city) being 8° below on the morning of the 11th; the 

 mean of the whole month being 6*^ less than the mean of 

 January, 1848, 



The weather through February was very cold ; the ther- 

 mometer at zero, or below, on six different times in the 

 course of the month ; lowest, on the 16th, when the mercury 

 fell (in this city) to 8° below 0, and in some places in the 

 vicinity much lower. The ground, through both January 

 and February, was generally covered with snow. 



In March no very striking peculiarities were noticed. 



The weather of April was cold and disagreeable. Ice was 

 formed at six different times in the course of the month, and, 

 as late as the 21st, the ground was frozen hard on the surface. 



On the 12th of May there was a frost. But little rain fell 

 during this or the preceding month, and both were distin- 

 guished by an almost uninterrupted succession of easterly 

 winds, always prevalent at this season, of great violence. 



June was warm, with some very hot weather from the 19th 

 to the 24th. In the middle of each of those days, the mer- 

 cury rose from 90° to 95° in the shade, and in some places 

 reached 100°. 



In July there was much very hot weather, and but little 

 or no rain. With the exception of five very slight showers, 



