42 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Jan. 



fice Report, "Meteorology in its Connection with 

 Agriculture," unless it is because it is published 

 in an agricultural volume. 



On the efficiency of lightning-rods. Prof. Hen- 

 ry says : 



"In a house properly provided with lightning- 

 rods, however many discharges may fall upon it, 

 we are well assured from full experience and es- 

 tablished principles, no damage can ensue to the 

 occupants within." 



The long articles on "The Construction and 

 Arrangement of Horse Stables," and on "The 

 Principal Plants used as Food by Man," are 

 translations from foreign publications, which we 

 have not space to notice. Papers on "Vegetable 

 Fibre," and "Fish Breeding," some fifteen letters 

 from as many United States consuls about "To- 

 bacco," a variety of short miscellaneous articles, 

 with a "List of Patents for Agricultural Inven- 

 tions for 1859," must also be passed without no- 

 tice. 



For the Neiv England Farmer. 

 KEVIEW OP THE GKOWIWG SEASON. 



As the close of another year is approaching, it 

 may not be unprofitable to review the progress of 

 agricultural affairs during the season. 



Spring opened early and very favorably, and 

 farmers commenced work with an apparent deter- 

 mination to put in all the seed they could. The 

 ground had been well frozen during the winter, 

 and it was generally remarked that the land is 

 seldom in so good condition for plowing. Even 

 stiff clay soils turned up as fine as rich loams, and 

 could be cultivated early. 



The 4th month was dry, and an unusally large 

 breadth of land was sown and planted. Mean 

 temperature of the month, 42°; depth of rain 4-5 

 of an inch. 



The 5th month was warm, and wet enough to 

 bring vegetation forward as fast as desirable. The 

 first week was hot, the mercury rising to 78° in 

 the shade the 6th. Plum trees were in full bloom 

 the 11th, pear ti'ees the 13th, and apple trees the 

 22d. Mean temperature, 60.18°; depth of rain 

 2 9-10 inches. 



The summer and autumn were wet, and the 

 temp(>rature was not far from an average for a 

 term of years. We had no drought during the 

 season ; thunder shov.'ers were frequent, and con- 

 siderable damage was done. The nights in the 

 7th month were uncommonly cool, and it was 

 feared that corn would be injured, yet it grew 

 well, though it is quite probable that warmer 

 weather would have made more full-grown ears. 



Some sudden changes of temperature occurred. 

 The 12th day of the Gth month the mercury fell 

 to 44°, and the 13th it rose to 85®, a difference of 

 41° in about 36 hours. The mean temperature of 

 the month was 67.09°; depth of rain 1.88 inches. 



The mean for the 7th month was 67.36°; depth 

 of rain, 4.31 inches — nearly an inch above the 

 average depth at the Toronto Observatory for the 

 last 19 years. 



The 8lh month was warm, a portion of it hot, 

 and generally favorable for harvesting. Grain 



ripened remarkably well, and proved to be but 

 very little injured by the weevil. No appearance 

 of rust in this section. Potatoes began to show 

 signs of disease about the middle of the month. 

 Mean temperature, 67.93°; depth of rain, 3.17 

 inches. 



Light frost appeared the 2d and 3d of the 9th 

 month, but no damage was done. The first gen- 

 eral frost occurred the 29th, the mercury falling 

 to 26°, and in the morning of the 30th, it fell to 

 27°. 



A fine aurora borealis was seen on the night of 

 the 6th. We had an unusual amount of lightning 

 and thunder for that month. Cloudy weather and 

 frequent rains somewhat retarded harvesting. 



Corn was ripe before the frost, and the crop is 

 good. It is the universal practice here, to cut up 

 corn as soon as there is an appearance of hard 

 frost, and I am rather in favor of the practice, 

 though in my boyhood I was accustomed to "top 

 the stalks." The fodder seemed to be more pala- 

 table to stock, than the butts from which the tops 

 have been taken, and I believe the corn ripens 

 equally as well. 



The 10th month was a very unpleasant one ; part 

 of the time was cloudy ; indeed, we had but two 

 clear days, and rain fell in thirteen. A great deal 

 of buckwheat was lying in the swath at the close 

 of the month. The 29th I saw forty acres in one 

 field, and water was standing on a part of it. 

 Pease were not all cut, and many fields of pota- 

 toes were not dug. The mean temperature of the 

 month was 48.78°; depth of rain, 3.90 inches, 

 which is 3.39° in temperature, and 1.15 inches of 

 rain, above the mean for the last 19 years at the 

 Toronto Observatory. 



The first week in the 11th month was very 

 warm. The mercury rose to 70° the 1st, and to 

 69° the 2d, in the shade. Mean for the first six 

 days, 53|°. At this time, the 16th, the weather 

 is fine. The temperature has not yet fallen below 

 26°, and though the mornings are sometimes 

 frosty, the ground has not been frozen to any ex- 

 tent. Harvesting is nearly completed, though 

 some corn and buckwheat are still out. 



The season has been one of the most produc- 

 tive on record. Crops of all kinds are bountiful ; 

 nothing has failed, though hay was light. Fears 

 were entertained with regard to potatoes, but the 

 crop is not seriously damaged in this region. 



Prices for all kinds of produce are good, and 

 farmers are in high spirits. The weather is fine, 

 this week, and plowing is the principal business. 



The extremes of temperature at this place have 

 not been as great as in some years, the minimum 

 being 14° below zero the 5th of 1st month, and 

 86° the 7th of 8th month, showing a range of 

 100.° L. Vaexey. 



Bloonifield, C. W., 11 Mo., 1860. 



iNArrRomiATE. — A correspondent of the Ohio 

 Cultivator, criticising the taste of a very rich man 

 whose grounds were laid out in the most expen- 

 sive manner, says : "A very small jjond, trimmed 

 with bright green grass to the water's edge, had 

 more than a lumber wagon load of great conch 

 shells scattered around its edge. The pond was 

 pretty, and the shells, too ; but the idea of those 

 great shells washing out of that tiny pond on the 

 green grass, made us all laugh." 



