230 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



JAKUARY 38, 1835. 



NEW JJ N fi C A N W FARMER. 



BOSTON, VVEUNESDAY EVENING, JAN. 23, 1835. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 DIFFERENCE OP TEMPERATURE IN HII.I.S 

 AND VAI-L.EYS. 



Mr. Fessenuen— Dear Sir, I will give the following. 

 in answer to the quere of Mr. Breck in a late Farmer. 

 As warm air ascends, it follows of course that cold air 

 will descend, and occupy the lowest places, in the ab- 

 sence of the sun. Mr. Breck says, it is known the high- 

 er you go the colder it is, probably so to the extent of 

 the atmosphere ; but cold must have its limits. I cannot 

 conceive of its being colder, than in a place where all 

 heat is absent. It is probable, that if it were not for the 

 sun's rays, that the atmosphere would be of uniform 

 temperature ; it is known that the sun's rays pass through 

 a transparent body, like air, without heating it but little 

 if any ; but in striking the Earth, they there create heat ; 

 and by expanding the air, at the surface of the earth, 

 cause it to ascend ; and in the absence of the sun during 

 the night, the warmest air will be ascending, and the 

 coldest descending : we will say that the sun shall be ab- 

 sent from Lancaster for a time sufficient, and that the 

 atmosphere tliere shall be stationary, the coldest air 

 would continue descending on the valley of the Nashua, 

 and the warm ascending, until the temperature of the 

 atmosphere from the surface of the earth, to its extremi- 

 ty, were equal. 



■With respect to the dift'erence of cold, in the valley, 

 .^nd on the hill, in time of calm, and a high wind, — I 

 will say in answer, that when the atmosphere ia moving 

 over an uneven country, with great velocity (what we 

 nil a high wind) rising over the hills and descending 

 into the valleys, forming various eddies and currents, it 

 would naturally intermix the higher and lower tempera- 

 lures of the air, and make the cold on the hill and in the 

 valley more uniform than it would be in a still time ; 

 therefore, if there had been a wind at Lancaster, on Sun- 

 day morning, the Thermometer on the hill and in the 

 valley would have ranged more uniform. 



Respectfully yours, &c. William Keith. 



West Roxhurij, Jan. I5th, 1835. 



Br THE Editor. Mr. Breck's queries are in sub- 

 stance, 1st. 'Why it is colder during a severe frost, in a 

 valley, than on hills adjacent.' — 2. If there is wind in a 

 very cold day, will there be any dift'erence between the 

 temperature of the hills and valleys .■■ 



It is well known that the mean temperature of any 

 place depends on many circumstances, too numerous to 

 be here recapitulated, besides its distance from the equa- 

 tor. Sir John Sinclair in his Code of JIgriculture ob- 

 serves, " It may be remarked, that land in the same par- 

 allel of latitude, other circumstances being nearly similar, 

 is always more valuable in proportion to the comparative 

 lowness of its situation. In the higher districts, the 

 quality even of the herbage is less succulent and nour- 

 ishing, and the reproduction slower, when in grass ; 

 while the grain is less plump, runs more to straw, is less 

 perfectly ripened, and the harvest is also later. 



" It has been estimated, that sixty yards of elevation 

 in the land are equal to a degree of latitude ; or in other 

 words that sixty yards perpendicular higher, are in re- 

 spect of climate equal to a degree more north." — Code of 

 AgT. p. 25— C. 



That the temperature or mean warmth of a place in 

 the growing part of the season is greater on low land 

 than on high land in the same latitude, appears from the 

 fact that the spring is more backward and the harvest is 

 much later on the heights of land between the Merri- 

 mack, Connecticut and iMorth Rivers, than in the valleys 

 which are pervaded by these streams. Yet, in very cold 



vieather these Iiigh lands are the warmest. The causes 

 of this dift'erence have been well explained by our cor- 

 respondents, but we will add a few words. 



In the summer or in warm weather the source of heat 

 is the sun. His rays pervade the atmosphere, strike the 

 earth's surface, are reflected from the points of contact, 

 and warm the air most which is nearest the reflector. A 

 valley, like that of Nashua river, or the valley of the 

 Connecticut for instance, is a concave reflector, and 

 serves to concentrate the sun's rays and prevent their 

 being so dissipated and diverged as to produce a com- 

 paratively small efl'ect. If we might compare great 

 things with small, and not be cut up by the critics for 

 be-littUng our subject, we should say the sun in summer 

 was like a culinary fire, a valley like a thing called a 

 tin-kitchen placed before said fire, and the air and other 

 matters in and upon the surface of said valley like what- 

 soever may be placed to warm or to roast in said utensil. 

 But a hill, or high land presents a convex surface to the 

 sun, and causes its rays to diverge instead of being con- 

 centrated, and (to pursue our sublime comparison) is 

 like the back of said tin apparatus, turned towards the 

 fire. 



But, in the winter time, and when the sun acts feebly, 

 the earth, the waters and air, previously warmed, are the 

 sources of what caloric or heat there is left. They give 

 out warmth to particles of air with wliich they are in 

 immediate contact, which particles ascend, are conducted 

 up the sides of hills, &c. in consequence of their pos- 

 sessing less specific gravity. Cold air, as well as cold 

 water, is heavier than warm air, or warm water, exist- 

 ing under about the same pressure of the super-incum- 

 bent air or water. Of course the particles of compara- 

 tively waim air slip from under the colder atoms above 

 them and make their way ^to higher ground. Thus if 

 you put oil in a vessel and pour water upon it the water 

 will take the lowest part, because it is heaviest in pro- 

 portion to its bulk. 



With regard to the question, whether there would be 

 any difi'erence in a windy as well as cold day between 

 the temperature of hills and valleys, we should suppose 

 the dift'erence must be very little, if at all perceptible. 

 Thus oil and water shaken together in a bottle will, for 

 a short time appear to be united, but a little rest will 

 cause the water to take its place below the oil. 



THERMOMETRlCAIi. 



Range of Thermometer at the Maverick House, East 

 Boston, in a shaded Northwesterly exposure, free from 

 the wall. J. Wilson. 



I certify that the Thermometer above mentioned was 

 made by me and is true. Frederick Poole. 



Boston, Jan. 1!), 1835. 



Wonders of Chemistry. Aquafortis and tlie air which 

 we breathe are made of the same mateiials. Linen, and 

 sugar, and spirits of wine are so much alike in their 

 chemical composition, that an old shirt can be converted 

 into its own weight in sugar, and the sugar into spirits 

 of wine. Water is made of two substances, one of which 

 is the cause of almost all combustion or burning, and the 

 other will burn with more rapidity than almost any thing 

 in nature. The famous Peruvian bark, so much used to 

 strengthen weak stomachs, and the poisonous principle 

 of opium are formed of the same materials. 



ITEMS OF INTEtl.IGENCE. 



Missionaries Murdered. Rev. Samuel Muneou and 

 Henry Lyman, sent out by the American Board, were 

 murdered on the 28th June, in Sumatra, while travel- j 

 ing into the interior. Their widows were at Batavia 1 

 in, Sept. under care of Rev. Mr. Medhurst, of the Lon- 

 don Missionary Society, well provided for but in deep 

 affliction. 



Recipe. The bark of a willow tree burnt to ashes, 

 mixed with strong vinegar, and applied to the parts, will 

 remove all warts, corns, and other excrescensies on any 

 part of the body. 



Odoriferous substances offensive to Insects. It is said 

 that the common mint strewed among grain as it is 

 stowed away in the barn, will preserve it from being in- 

 jured by vermin. Camphor, when kept among bed- 

 clothes, will keep away bed bugs and fleas. From these 

 circumstances, together with the fact that we do not re- 

 collect of having seen plants strongly odoriferous injured 

 by insects, we are led to conclude that farmers might be 

 benefitted by turning their attention to the subject. 



Large Simne. Mr. John Tillow, of Fredeiick, Md. 

 lately killed 4 hogs, whose respective weights were 469 

 1-4, 428, 426, 425 3-4, and whose average length from 

 the nose to the root of the tail was 6 feet, and their girth 

 5 feet G inches. 



Larger yet. Mr^Philip Jones,of Amesbury,has lately 

 killed a hog, l^nonths old, which weighed 626 

 pounds. 



Benjamin Brown, Esq. of Vassalborough, Me. has 

 off'ered to give .f 10,000 towards founding an Hospital for 

 the Insane in Maine. 



By the resignation of Judge Duval, of the Supreme 

 Court of the United States, Judge Story takes the va- 

 cant chair as Senior Associate with the venerable Chief 

 Justice Marshall. 



^ A bill of indictment has been found by the Grand Jury 



Iof Westchester county, New- York, against the individ- 

 ual known as Matthias the prophet, for the alleged mur- 

 der of Elijah Pierson. 



We perceive among the standing committees of the 

 Legislature of Maryland, one on the subject of applica- 

 tions for Divorces. It is to be regretted ths^t there are 

 so many unfortunate or discontented mairied people to 

 make such a committee expedient. 



A resolution has passed the Georgia Legislature, giv- 

 ing $3,000 for the education of the deaf and dumb ol 

 that State, and appropriating 10,000 for the erection of 

 a Southern Asylum, as soon as not less than two othei 

 States shall unite in the project. 



Of the members constituting the present House of the 

 New..York Assembly, 23 are lawyers, 10 are doctors, O: 

 are farmers, 21 are merchants, one currier, one book 

 binder, one carman, one saddler, one ship-joiner, on 

 carpenter, and three are gentlemen of leisure. 



Sweet Potatoes. The Natchez Courier says — We hav 

 received from John H. Helm, Esq. a planter of this cour 

 ty, a couple of twin potatoes, one measuring 18 and th 

 other 12 inches in length, and weighing together 14 1- 

 povmds — enough for 20 persons to dine upon. 



Messrs. Editors, — To excite the emulation of oth. 

 farmers in Windham County, I would state the fact th 

 the Cheese, which obtained the first premium of $C 

 oifered by the Massachusetts Agricultural Society ar 

 awarded at tlieir late meeting in Boston, was from tl' 

 excellent dairy of Messrs. B. c& J. Lynde of Guilloi 

 Farmer's Friend. — Vermont Phoenix. 



