18R0, 



NEW ENGLAND FAEMER. 



In the above statement your correspondent may 

 be hardly able to trace a semblance of connection 

 between the occurrence of frosts and full moon, 

 but with the limited period of observations 1 am 

 able to give, I am stiil slow to adopt the idea of a 

 greater tendency to frost, at or near full moon than 

 at other times. It would be more interesting and 

 satisfactory to4iave more extended data from which 

 to judge. 



The following table gives an average of the 

 mean temperature of three days at each "high and 

 iow moon" in September and October for the last 

 four years, according to your correspondent's re- 

 quest : 



Years. High Moon, Low Moon. 



1S56 55.94' 62.04' 



1857 55.16' .47.17'' 



1858 51.19' 53.09° 



1859 51.50' 49.95° 



Mean .53.67° 53.14° 



It will be seen from the statement above that 

 the mean temperature is fifty-three one-hundredths 

 of a degree higher at high moon than iow — against 

 the opinion advanced by your respected corres- 

 pondent, "N. T. T. ;" yet I would not have any 

 one conclude that this brief number of observa- 

 tions settles the matter either for or against the 

 theory. I have given these figures at the gentle- 

 manly solicitations of "N. T. T.," who is, however, 

 personally unknown to me ; but I would say that 

 my suspicions in the matter — that the influence 

 of the moon upon atmospheric temperature is so 

 slight that no connection can be traced between 

 it and the occurrence of frosts, either in spring or 

 autumn, or at any season of the year — have been 

 rather strengthened than weakened. 



In another place in his communication your 

 correspondent remarks, "I wish he would make his 

 average for the five successive summer months for 

 a series of years, commencing with May, and let 

 me have the result." Here it is ; and not know- 

 ing which would be preferred, high and Iom^ moon, 

 or new and full moon, I give both, for reasons 

 given in my former article, as follows : 



Years. Hi^h. Low, New. Full. 



' 1857 60.01° 65.42' 63.89° 63.91° 



1858 63.31° 62.73' 66.55° 60.71° 



1859 G 5.09° 61.91° 60.65° 65.34° 



Mean 62.83°. 63.35° 63.67' 62.92° 



My preconceived opinion, I must confess, was 

 against this theory, but as I commenced my re- 

 search merely for the sake of truth, let it favor 

 which side it might, I will now review the state- 

 ments I have faithfully deduced. In the observa- 

 tions on high and low moon for three years, given 

 in my former communication on this subject, (p. 

 494 of monthly Farmer,) the result was .22° in fa- 

 vor of the theory ; and the result of observations 

 on new and full moon, given in the same article, 

 jvas also .29° in favor of it ; the table of frosts in 

 this article, may be construed to favor it, or con- 

 flict with it, while the result of observations on 

 this subject in September and October, for four 

 years, gives .53° against it ; and the result of ob- 

 servations on high and low moon for the five 

 warm months for three years, also gives .52° 

 against it, and the same on new and full moon, for 

 the same length of time, .75° against it. 



I am not yet prepared to hazard any settled 

 conclusion on this subject that would conflict with 



general public opinion ; for I find that the opin- 

 ion advanced by your correspondent is also more 

 or less prevalent in this region. Yet, from the 

 record I have studied, I see no particular evidence 

 in its favoi-. I can but hope, however, that some 

 one, who has the means to do so, will continue 

 the investigation and, if convenient, report. 



The reason why I have given observations on 

 new and full moon, and also on high and low 

 moon, is, that they do not often occur in conjunc- 

 tion, or at the same time, and that public opinion 

 upon new and full moon, in this connection, re- 

 gards it synonomous with high and low moon, 

 whereas the contrary obtains. It is evident that 

 the moon must exert her greatest influence upon 

 our atmosphere at the time she passes nearest the 

 zenith, unless it can be proved that heat is reflect- 

 ed from her surface as well as light ; which, if it 

 be the case, would conflict with the popular notion 

 of its being colder at full moon. j. a. a. 



Springfield, Mass., Nov. 25, 1859. 



For the Ncic England Farmer. 

 LOOSE BARK ON" APPLE TREES. 



Mr. Editor : — In a late number of the Farmer 

 your correspondent informs us that the bark on 

 the south side of his apple trees became black, and 

 ultimately was disengaged from the body of the 

 tree. He asks for the cause and remedy. Th e 

 first cause, perhaps, is in consequence of the high 

 state of cultivation of his lands, which renders the 

 trees very thrifty, and consequently more tender. 

 Then, after a tight and severe frost, the weather 

 becomes very warm, which, in his case, starts the 

 sap on the south side of his trees, then a sudden 

 change of the weather from warm to severe cold 

 and frost chills the sap, and consequently disen- 

 gages the bark from the trees, and produces the 

 result complained of. 



In 1830, in January, the weather became very 

 warm, the frost all came out of the ground, and 

 also out of the trees. The wind suddenly change .1 

 to the north, and the frost became very sudden 

 and severe, the result of which was, the loss of 

 many, very many apple trees in the same manner 

 as represented by your correspondent. The most 

 thrifty trees sufi'ered the most. 



Yours, Oliver M. Whipple. 



Lowell, Dec, 1859. 



The Beurre Bosc Pear. — The original of the 

 beautiful illustration of this pear, which we gave 

 last week, we forgot to mention, was furnished by 

 the Hon. Marshall P. Wilder — being one of a 

 crop produced in his orchard at Dorchester. Our 

 thanks are due him for this and other similar fa- 



GUAXO. — According to Official Returns pub- 

 lished in the Mark Lane Express, there were im- 

 ported into the British "United Kingdom," in the 

 nine months ending September 30, 1859, 64,984 

 tons of guano ; dm'ing the corresponding period 

 of the year 1858, there Avere imported 269,878 

 tons. More than four times a^ much last year as 

 this year. 



