550 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Dec. 



green as possible at this season of the year — un- 

 injured by frost, requiring no extra feed. The 

 beautiful weather is not the only anomaly of the 

 season. Last Sabbath, from 11^ o'clock A. M. 

 to 1 P. M., there was a beautiful bow about the 

 North Pole, apparently about two degrees high, 

 and reaching down to the horizon. Last eve, 

 about 6i o'clock, there was a bright Rainbow in 

 the west from the moon. L. L. Pierce. 



East Jaffrey, N. 11. , Oct. 19, 1861. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 HEVIEW OF THE SEASON. 



April had a mean temperature of 43.2-5'', being 

 a little above the mean, and is the warmest April 

 since 1856. The amount of rain was 5.29 inches, 

 and of snow 7 inches. The amount of cloudiness 

 51 per cent. During this month, the ground was 

 well saturated with water, which laid the founda- 

 tion for a wet season and heavy land, yet the sea- 

 son was very eccentric, sometimes dry, and at 

 other times drenched with an enormous quantity 

 of rain. The first thunder storm took place on 

 the 24th. Rain began at 2.40 P. M., and con- 

 tinued till night, in two successive showers. Thun- 

 der heavj-, and rain tremendous. Showers from 

 south-east. 



Maij had a mean temperature of 51.70°, being 

 3.50° below the mean, and is the coldest May for 

 the last nine years except 1858. The amount of 

 rain was 4.73 inches, somewhat above the usual 

 amount. It retarded planting operations con- 

 siderably. The amount of cloudiness was 61 per 

 cent. Snow was seen on the mountains on the 

 morning of the 28th day. There were several 

 frosts during the month. 



June had a mean temperature of 64.54°, which 

 is about the usual mean. The amount of rain was 

 2.38 inches, which is below the mean, but owing 

 to the rains in May the ground was not excessive- 

 ly dry. The amount of cloudiness was 51 per cent. 

 There was a light frost on the morning of the 5th 

 day, which was the last frost of spring. 



Juli/ had a mean temperature of 68.25°, which 

 is a trifle below the mean. The amount of rain 

 was 9.60 inches, which was enormous for one 

 month. The greatest rains were on the 2d and 

 20th days, which were respectively 2.76 and 2.41 

 inches, which constituted more than half the rain 

 during the month. Very little rain fell after the 

 20th. The amount of cloudiness was 54 per cent. 

 On the eighth day the mercury stood at 93° be- 

 tween 12 and 1 P. M. This was the hottest day 

 of the season. Between the 8lh and 21st days 

 we had only three days without rain, consequently 

 there was but little haying done. 



August had a mean temperature of 65.89°, which 

 is a little colder than the mean. The amount of 

 rain was 1.88 inches — a small amount as com- 

 pared with July. It fell in eleven days. The sea- 

 son for hay-making was tolerable but not first- 

 rate. The amount of cloudiness was 47 per cent. 



September had a mean temperature of 58.35°, 

 which is about the mean. The amount of rain 

 was 2.95 inches, being less than the mean. The 

 ground was rather dry for vegetation. The 

 amount of cloudiness was 53 per cent. The 

 amount of rain from the 1st of April to the last 

 of September was 20.83 inches, of which more 

 than one-third fell in the first twenty days of July. 



The amount in June, August and September, was 

 below the mean, while in April, May and July, it 

 was above. Taking the season through, we have 

 had more than the usual quantity of rain, although 

 the ground through August and September was 

 rather dry, but not dry enough to effect vegeta- 

 tion much. Time free from frost ninety-six days, 

 from June 5th to September 10th ; but there was 

 no frost to injure vegetation through the month 

 of September, nor up to the present time in Oc- 

 tober. Forest leaves have mostly fallen by the 

 natural ripening process, without the aid of frost. 



The crops have been good, with few exceptions. 

 Grass was first-rate. Oats first-rate. Wheat va- 

 riable, but probably an average crop. It is thought 

 to be considerably injured by the aphis, or plant 

 louse. The aphis, as seen on wheat, is a small 

 insect about one-half of an inch long, with six 

 legs, two antennas, two horns near the extremity 

 of the body, which, Cuvier says, "Are tubes from 

 which exude small drops of saccharine fluid, 

 termed honey-dew, of which ants are very fond." 

 They stand always, when undisturbed, with their 

 heads downward, with the proboscis at or near 

 the stem of the kernel. The antenna? lies back- 

 ward over the body when undisturbed, but a little 

 disturbance brings them forward. The color is 

 yellow or orange. In this it differs from the cot- 

 ton louse. In other respects the two insects ap- 

 pear to be similai'. Whether the lady bird (cocci- 

 nelle) is a destroyer of these insects, as it has 

 been supposed by some, is yet to be determined. 

 They are often found upon wheat as well as in 

 other situations. The aphis infested many fields 

 of oats, probably doing some damage to late oats. 

 Corn is a scanty crop, probably fuither below the 

 average than almost any other crop ; yet there are 

 some good fields. Potatoes are rather below an 

 average crop, although the prices indicate plenty. 

 The rot has done some damage, but rtfct to a great 

 extent. The apple crop is not large, yet there is 

 enough for home consumption. Grapes and plums 

 are an entire failure. D. Buckland. 



Brandon, Vt., Oct. 20, 1861. 



The Pocahontas Pear. — Mr. B. N. Adams, 

 of Quincy, brought us some beautiful specimens 

 of this pear, from his father's garden, Mr. Josiah 

 Adams, of the same town. To our taste, it is 

 one of the finest pears we have ever met — not so 

 luscious as the Seckel or Winter Nelis, in their 

 prime, but it has a rich flavor, is juicy, and the 

 flesh is very fine and tender. The tree is rather a 

 slow grower, but is very hardy, and bears annu- 

 ally. The fruit is of medium size, bell shaped, 

 and is russeted about the calyx, and covered 

 nearly over its whole surface with fine russet 

 dots. The original tree was found in the woods 

 of Quincy by a Mr. Burrill, who took it home 

 with the intention of grafting it. He allowed it 

 to stand, however, until it fruited, when, finding 

 its own fruit of rare excellence, he cultivated it 

 with care, and thus has added — in our judgment 

 — one of the finest pears to our list of good ones. 

 Mr. Adams will please accept thanks for calling 

 our attention to it. 



