286 



ISTW ENGLAND FARINIER. 



JUXE 



different. In a very able article by Cuthbert AV. 

 Johnson, he says that about the quantity used at 

 Edinburgh, 10,000 tons to the acre, is "required" 

 for eighteen irrigations. 



We are told, that the sewage of London con- 

 tains about 1400 pounds of water to one pound of 

 the solid excrements of the inhabitants ! If this 

 bo so, we should get in each ton of 2240 lbs., a 

 * little more than one and a half pounds of the con- 

 centrated solid manure, a somewhat homoeopathic 

 dose. 



In all the experiments with liquid manures on 

 green crops, we have seen no fair comparison of 

 their effects with those of pure water, and it is 

 difficult to estimate in these investigations with 

 sewage and other liquids, how much is due to the 

 water, and how much to the matters held in solu- 

 tion. We give the above facts and suggestions 

 to attract a more careful attention to the subject. 



' For the New England Farmer. 



THE SEASONS OF 1859— LATE 

 FROSTS, &c. 



The year of 1859 was one of extremes. The 

 winter of 1858-9 was an open one ; but little snow 

 fell in this region. The mean of the 1st month 

 v.- as 23.88°. The 2d month was mild, and not so 

 \ liable as the preceding; mean temperature 

 L .32°. The 3d month was unusally mild and pleas- 

 o:.:, the temperature being 6° above the mean of 

 the corresponding month for the last 18 years, at 

 Toronto, in latitude 43° 39' north. 



Plowing was commenced as early as the 12th, 

 on sandy land, yet the roads were, in many places, 

 almost impassable, in consequence of mud. The 

 various spring birds, except swallows, appeared 

 during the second week. 



The 4th month was cool and wet, the mean 

 temperature, 40.55°, Avas but 4^° above that of the 

 preceding month. The frosty nights did great 

 damage to clover, and winter wheat was badly 

 damaged. The 5th month was warm and dry. A 

 fine rain the 9th, changed the face of nature sud- 

 denly. The "old dame" immediately donned her 

 vernal robes, and looked as gay as ever. Previ- 

 ous to this time, the forests and orchards had 

 scarcely changed their color, yet as early as the 

 15th, apple trees began to show their blossoms, 

 and they were in full bloom the 24th and 25th. 

 The 23d and the 31st were cool ; mercury fell to 

 36° each morning. 



In the morning of the 23d, the frost played 

 some queer antics. Corn, beans and vines, in my 

 garden, were up, and looked finely. I took the 

 precaution to cover the vines. The corn was not 

 badly injured. In some hills, a blade was killed to 

 the ground, and in some others, one or two were 

 partly killed, Avhile the remainder of the hill was 

 untouched. So with beans ; some hills were en- 

 tirely killed, and those next to them on all sides 

 were not injured. The leaves on one side of a hill 

 were, in some cases, nipped, and one stalk was 

 sometimes killed, while the rest of the hill was 

 intact. Similar freaks were witnessed in other 

 localities. Now, what was the cause ? Had the 



plants on any considerable spot been entirely 

 killed, or all touched alike, we might reasonably 

 suppose some peculiarity of soil to exist — some 

 clement which had the power of absorbing and re- 

 taining a greater amount of heat in one spot than 

 in another ; but such a theory will not hold good 

 in instances like the foregoing. There is a great 

 deal of mystery in the operations of nature, yet 

 careful observation Avill make many things plain 

 that are now wrapped in obscurity. I may here 

 say that the soil in this vicinity is genei-ally a clay 

 loam, based upon limestone, the clay predominat- 

 ing, and often mixed with limestone gravel. 



Late frosts occasionally visit all parts of the 

 country, doing more or less damage to vegetation, 

 but seldom has the "Ice King" more nearly de- 

 feated the hopes of the husbandman, as in the 

 last year. The 5th of the 6th month, a general 

 frost visited Canada and the northern part of the 

 United States. In some locations, crops were se- 

 verely injured, yet the damage proves to be much 

 less than it was thought to be at the time. In 

 many places the mercury fell to 30°. At this 

 place it fell to 32°. Of course, tender vegetation 

 was destroyed. In some situations, corn was en- 

 tirely killed, but generally the leaves only were 

 killed, and the stalk continued to grow without 

 material loss. Another frost nearly as heavy oc- 

 cm-red in the morning of the 12th. Mercury again 

 fell to 32° at this place, but, fortunately, less dam- 

 age was done, though the prospect for a cro]) of 

 corn, beans and potatoes was rather gloomy. The 

 weather became wai'm, however, soon after this, 

 and vegetation was very rapid. 



The 4 th of the 7th month, the temperature 

 again fell to 41°, and frost was reported in some 

 localities. After the Ith, hot weather prevailed. 

 From the 4th to the 13th, no rain fell ; the sur- 

 face of the ground became very dry, and vegeta- 

 tion began to suffer for want of water. A fine 

 shower fell the 15th, and it continued showery 

 several days. Crops of all kinds, except grass, 

 suddenly revived, and an abundant harvest was, 

 in due time, gathered. 



At noon the 12th, the mercm-y rose to 90° in 

 the shade at 1, P. M., the 17th, to 91°, and in 

 the P. M. of the 31st, to 81°. Mean temperature 

 ofthe month 69.51°. 



Fair weather prevailed dui'ing the 8th month, 

 which was very favorable for harvesting grain, 

 lai"ge quantities of which were secured. But little 

 rain fell, and late crops suffered somewhat from 

 drought. The mean temperature of tlio month 

 was 68.80°. 



In the 9th month, cloudy weather prevailed, 

 though but little rain fell. Springs were very low, 

 and many wells fiiiled to supply water, some of 

 which had not been dry in tw^iity years. In the 

 morning of the 15th, the mercury fell to 29°, and 

 frost was heavy enough to kill corn, and all ten- 

 der vegetables. It will bo seen that corn had but 

 three months and three days to grow, yet the crop 

 was pretty good, and on some farms, very fine. 

 This is an instance of the great rapidity with 

 which crops grow in cool seasons. 



From the 19th to the 28tb, inclusive, cloudy, 

 with very damp, sultry atmosphere. Mean tem- 

 perature of the month, 56.92°, 



In the 10th month, only five days were mostly 

 clear, yet but very little rain fell. Hard frosts oc- 

 curred several nights. Ground froze hard in the 



