PLANTIN6. 87 



also, that the causes of this were more sun, less cold, cloudy, fall- 

 ing weather, and frost, during the shooting and tiUing of the ears, 

 and the hardening of the grain. The natural conclusions drawn 

 from those facts, if they had been duly considered, must have beea 

 that the same good etTects would occur in their helds if the same 

 practice were pursued : also, that by early planting they would 

 avoid that destruction of their crops which so often occurs in high 

 latitudes, merely from planting quite too laie. 



Notwithstanding these very interesting facts have been as obvi- 

 ous ever since corn has been planted by Europeans and their de- 

 scendants in this country, I do not recollect ever to have heard any 

 thing said, or to have seen any thing written, on this subject. 



Local causes alter climates so much, that the only sure criterion 

 by which we may determine how soon corn or other seeds may be 

 planted in many neighborhoods, is to observe when, in the general 

 course of events, this may be done without risk of any material in- 

 jury from frost. The ridge of quite a low mountain, or, indeed, 

 the ridge of a high hill, will make a ditierence of several days in 

 the pro()er time of planting or sowing in the valleys on the oppo- 

 site sides of them ; although these valleys be not more than two or 

 three miles apart. Other causes, also, produce similar eti'ects. 



This shows the very great advantages which would be derived 

 if intelligent farmers, in every neighborhood, would take notes on 

 the weather, and its eifects on vegetation. 



Neither latitude, nor height, nor the influence of surrounding 

 seas, can determine this subject sutficiently correct for agricultural 

 purposes. 



No kind of dependance can be placed on the Indian rule for 

 planting or sowing. It may be of some use to them, whose obser- 

 vation is limited greatly by savage ignorance, but of none to us. 

 We sometimes see the same vegetation which usually takes place 

 in Ma}, about the time corn is commonly planted, occur in Febru- 

 ary, or the fore part of March ; when no rational cultivator would 

 plant corn in any part of Pennsylvania where 1 have been. 



The corn-plant is easily destroyed by frost in the fall, being then 

 debilitated by age, or exerting all its powers to perfect its fruit. 

 But when young, it is much hardier than is generally supposed. I 

 have observed it for several days together coming up through the 

 heat of the day, although the surface of the soil had been slightly 

 frozen in the morning. 



The spring after I removed to this place, Dr. Dewees, with Mr. 

 Philips and myself, planted the yellow gourdseed corn on the 30th 

 of April and the 1st of May. The season continued sufficiently 

 mild to establish the roots of the plants, although many of their 

 tops were severely atfected by frost, and some of tliem cut off near- 

 ly level with the ground. The weather, after we had planted, was 

 not quite so favorable, and continued to be such as farmers too 

 generally consider unfit for planting maize. 



Forty or fifty miles around us, (except two fields in this neighbor- 

 hoodj which the cultivators planted earlier than usual,) but little 



