1860. 



NEW ENGLAKD FARMER. 



257 



SAWYEK'S IMPROVED CULTIVATOK. 



This is an admirable labor-saving implement. 

 For the purpose of hilling Ave have never seen its 

 equal — and us a scarifier, or weeder, it is very ef- 

 fectual. It is easily changed so as to do little or 

 much work, as is desired, for it is adapted to flat 

 surface culture as well as to hilling. Mr. Wm. R. 

 Putnam, of Danvers, says it is the best tool he 

 ever used for splitting hills where corn grew the 

 previous year, but that its "greatest excellence is 

 in Its adaptation to the drill' and ridge culture, 

 such as corn planted for fodder, sugar beets and 

 ruta bagas, as it will cover the manuring, and the 

 hand-hoe can be dispensed with." On ground not 

 stony we should think it might be used favorably 

 for covering potatoes. 



For the New England Farmer 

 BEVIEW OF THE SEASON. 



Mr. Editor : — For the purpose of keeping the 

 readers of the Farmer posted up on the changes 

 and fluctuations of the season, I send the re- 

 sults of my record of the weather for the past six 

 months, giving an account of the principal ele- 

 ment? which have governed the season during 

 that time. The amount of rain was 10.42 inches, 

 and of snow 43 inches, which is a much smaller 

 amount than usual. The earth has not been 

 thoroughly saturated with water during the past 

 twelve months. 



October, \%o2, had a mean temperature of 42.87 

 which is more than 4 colder than the mean, and is 

 the coldest October for the past seven years. Rain 

 fell on 8 days, and its quantity was 1.39 inches, 

 consequently the earth was extremely dry. Snow 

 was first seen on the mountains on the 9th day, 

 but no snow fell at this place. The highest range 

 of the thermometer was 80, and the lowest 20. 



November had a mean temperature of 37.75, 

 being 2.70 above the mean, and is the Avarmest 

 November for the past seven years. Rain fell on 

 10 days, and its amount Avas 2.29 inches, and the 

 amount-of snow 3.75. Winter begun on the 22d, 



Avith 2 inches of snov/, yet the snow was nearly 

 gone at the end of the month. The small quan- 

 tity of rain during the past season caused the 

 springs and streams to be extremely low at the 

 beginning of winter, with but little prospecct of 

 any increase. 



December had a mean temperature of 19.02, 

 being 3.21 colder than the mean, and is the coldest 

 December of the past seven years, Avith the excep- 

 tion of 1854 and 1856. Rain fell on 11 days and 

 its amount Avas 2.65 inches, and the amount of 

 snow 22 inches. The sleighing Avas good for the 

 last ten days, and the cold Avas rather severe, but 

 the most severe during the last six days, which 

 had a temperature of 6.02. The thermometer on 

 the 28th and 29th ranged from 4 to 26 beloAv zero, 

 having a mean of 11.24 below zero. These Avere 

 the tAvo coldest days of the season, and, with a 

 single exception, the only days Avith the mercury 

 beloAV zero all day. 



January, 1800, had a mean temperature of 23.13, 

 being 4.44 above the mean. No month has been 

 so fluctuating as the month of January, for a se- 

 ries of years past. The loAvest mean temperature 

 recorded for January, Avas 8.69 in 1857, and the 

 highest, Avas 25.62 in 1855, shoAving a greater va- 

 riation than any other month in the year. Rain 

 fell on 1 1 days, and its amount Avas 0.84 inches, 

 and the amount of snoAv 3 inches. The first five 

 days Avere extremely cold, the mercury varying 

 from 25 above, to 25 below zero. The snow par- 

 tially disappeared on the 10th, since which time 

 we have had no sleighing and but little suoaa*. 



February had a mean temperature of 22.03, 

 being 2.36 above the mean. Rain and snoAV fell on 

 14 days, and the amount of rain Avas 1.59 inches, 

 and of snoAV 6.25 inches. The extremes of tem- 

 perature Avere 10 beloAv and 49 above zero. 



March had a mean temperature of 34.45 being 

 5.84 above the mean, and is the Avarmest March 

 of the past 8 years. The extremes of temperature 

 Avere 10 and 65.50. Rain fell 8 days, and its 

 amount Avas 1.66 inches, and the amount of snow 

 8 inches. 



The amount of water that has fallen within the 

 last six months is 10.42 inches, or an average of 



