364 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Aug. 



appointed in this, condemned the whole as a hum- 

 bug. 



I have owned one of Timby's barometers nearly 

 two years, and for one year of that time, have ob- 

 served it carefully, several times a day, and have 

 taken every opportunity to converse with those 

 who have tried them, including at least one sea 

 captain, and all seem to agree that judgment and 

 careful observation, not only of the barometer, but 

 of other indications, are indispensable requisites in 

 its use, and that it is much more reliable in some 

 places, than in others, owing, I suppose, to moun- 

 tains which intercept currents of air. 1 think it 

 generally gives little or no indication of a north- 

 east storm, while a storm from the south, is gen- 

 erally preceded by a foil of the mercury, and a 

 thunder shower is usually indicated by a rapid 

 sinking, frequently of half an inch or more, depend- 

 ing, however, some upon whether the shower is 

 to be followed by wind. Saturday, May 31, the 

 column in the barometer fell slightly, and rose 

 again during the night, which, I believe, is not 

 generally considered to indicate rain, but on Sun- 

 day afternoon we had rain enough, with south- 

 west wind, to have interrupted haying or harvest- 

 ing, the mercury falling little more than a tenth, 

 some time after the rain commenced, a very 

 moderate thunder shower coming on Monday, fol- 

 lowed, however, by very warm weather and little 

 wind. During yesterday, Tuesday, June 3d, and 

 last night, the mercury rose nearly four-tenths, the 

 night being quite rainy, Avith a prospect of a long 

 storm ahead, wind north-east. In some instances 

 a barometer, a few miles from here, in a much 

 more elevated position, has indicated rain several 

 hours sooner than mine. 



But to make the story short, I conclude that in 

 a locality like this, whoever buys a barometer 

 trusting for fair weather when the mercury rises, 

 and expecting rain when it falls, will so often 

 "catch a tartar" as to better off without it ; but 

 that with the aid of considerable experience and a 

 good stock of "gumption," it may be made quite 

 useful. Wm. F. Bassett. 



Ashfield, June 4, 1862. 



A Fine Rain. — On Friday evening, the 27th 

 of June, at about 7 o'clock, a dark cloud com- 

 menced rising directly in the north, and soon as- 

 sumed the grandest proportions. It was as black 

 as midnight, and rose majestically towards the ze- 

 nith, but gradually sweeping eastward until a new 

 current brought it directly overhead, whence it 

 spread in every direction, until the whole horizon 

 was shut in by it. It gave audible notice of its 

 coming from its appearance in the north, and as 

 it approached and passed, the grandest and most 

 brilliant fire-works were displayed, greatly en- 

 hanced by the rich baritone of the rolling thunder. 

 The rain fell fast in great drops, which, with the 

 lightning and thunder, and a lively breeze, gave 

 the beholder a vivid manifestation of the power of 

 Him who conducts and "rides upon the storm." 



Never run into debt without a reasonable prob- 

 ability of aolvina- it at the time aareed. 



THE BOBOLINK. 



The verses which we give below are not inap- 

 propriate at the present time, when this delight- 

 ful singing bird has just arrived from his Southern 

 quarters. They were published in one of the early 

 numbers of the Atlantic Monthly, and were greatly 

 admired by the editor, J. R. Lowell. Mr. J. J. 

 Piper, of the Fitchburg Reveille, has pronounced 

 them the best Bobolink song extant. To enter 

 into the spirit of these verses, the reader should 

 be familiar with some of the peculiar habits of the 

 Bobolinks. These birds never sit still upon a 

 branch, like other birds, while they are singing. 

 As soon as they begin to sing, they take flight, 

 and poise themselves upon the wing, as the Eng- 

 lish Larks are said to do, except that, as the Lark 

 while singing is moving upwards, the Bobolink is 

 moving in a horizontal direction. Frequently in 

 an old orchard in the country, which is laid down 

 to grass, there are from ten to a dozen pairs of 

 these songsters ; and the male birds, during the 

 latter part of March and the whole of June, are 

 constantly hovering over the field apparently in 

 concerted action, as in an aerial dance, vieing \vith 

 each other in the loudness of their notes, and the 

 gracefulness of their quivering flight. For a full 

 account of the musical habits of these and other 

 native singing birds, we refer the reader to a se- 

 ries of five articles "On the Singing Bird and their 

 Songs," by the author of these verses, commenced 

 in the Second Volume of the Atlantic Monthly. — 

 Saturday Evening Gazette. 



THE O'LINCON PAMILY. 



BY WILSON FLAGG. 



A flock of merry singing birds were sporting in the grove, 

 Some were warbling cheerily, and some were making love ; 

 There were Bobolincon, Wadolincon, Winterseeble, Conquedle ; 

 A livelier set were never led by taber, pipe or fiddle ; 

 C'rj-ing, "Phew, shew, Wadolincon, see, see, Bobolincon, 

 Down among the tickle-tops, hiding in the buttercups ! 

 I know the saucy chap, I see his shiny cap. 

 Bobbing in the clover there ; see, see, see !" 



Up flies Bobolincon, perching on an apple-tree. 



Startled by his rival's song, quickened by his raillery. 



Soon he spies the rogue afloat, curv'etiug in the air. 



And merrily he turns about and warns him to beware ! 



" 'Tis you that would a wooing go, down among the rushes ! 



But wait a week, till flowers are cherry ; wait a week, and ere 



you marry, 

 Be sure of a house wherein to tarry I 

 Wadolink, Whiskodink, Tom Denny, wait, wait, wait." 



Every one's a funny fellow ; every one's a little mellow. 

 Follow, follow, follow, o'er the hill and in the hollow ! 

 Merrily, merrily, there they hie ; now tliey rise and now they fly ; 

 They cross and turn, and in and out, and down in the middle 



and wheel about, 

 With a "I'liew, shew, Wadolincon ! listen to me, Bobolincon ! 

 Happy's the wooing that's speedily doing, that's speedily doing, 

 That's merry and over, with the bloom of the clover ! 

 Bobolincon. Wadolincon, Winterseeble, follow, follow me I" 



0, what a happy life they lead, over the hill and in the mead ! 

 How they sing, and how they play ! See, tliey tiy, away, away ! 

 Now they gambol o'er the clearing ; offagain and then appearing ; 

 Poised aluft on quivering wing, now they soar and now tliey sing: 

 '>0 let us be merry and moving I let us be happy and loving ; 

 For when the mid-summer has eome, and the grain has ripened 



its car, 

 The haymakers scatter our young, and we mourn for the rest of 



the j'ear ! 

 Then Bobolincon, Wadolincon, Winterseeble, haste, haste, 



