1867. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



481 



For the New England Farmer. 

 SUSTGULAK FREAK OF LIGHTNING. 



A correspondent sends us the following ac- 

 count of a somewhat wonderful freak of light- 

 ning .— 



During a thunder shower in Methuen, Mass., 

 in June last, the lightning struck upon three 

 large oak trees on the farm of Mr. Irving 

 Stevens, about forty rods from his house. Mr. 

 Stevens, who was standing near his dwelling, 

 was nearly lifted from his feet and partially 

 stunned. The trees were not much injured. 

 It only broke the twigs on the branches, and 

 took off the bark about a foot square from the 

 trunk of each tree where it passed to the 

 ground, on every one following a seam. It 

 then struck upon a wall by the side of these 

 trees, along which it ran for six or seven rods, 

 scattering the rocks on each side ; throwing a 

 rider nearly two rods ; making a gap in one 

 place through which a pair of cattle might 

 pass, and plowing a good sized furrow the en- 

 tire distance. It then passed off at an acute 

 angle, making a smaller furrow for about a 

 rod. But what was marvellous in this occur- 

 rence, the lightning in its course broke large 

 rocks in several places into fragments. A 

 large foundation stone, that would require a 

 yoke of cattle to move, was broken into small 

 pieces as though it had been under a hammer. 

 This stone was very hard, being a sillcious 

 Iknestone. It was broken across the grain 

 into irregular pieces. I send you some speci- 

 mens, which prove very clearly that facts are 

 stranger than fiction. 



Here we have a tangible exhibition of the 

 intensity of one of the forces of nature. If, 

 in this instance, it could break the solid rock, 

 we can easily understand how, under other 

 circumstances, nothing in the so4id earth could 

 ■withstand its power. Prof. Agassiz says, the 

 forces of nature that have caused such won- 

 derful formations in the crust of our globe, 

 are the same forces that we find operating now ; 

 only they operated in much greater intensity 

 during the periods that preceded the existence 

 of man. As the Creator gradually fitted the 

 earth for man's abode, he confined the giant 

 forces with which it was made, each within its 

 own limits ; and so mollified the dispositions 

 of each (so to speak) that mankind could by 

 degrees get the mastery and control of them. 

 Electricity or lightning, heat, light, air, water, 

 steam, the gases and others are all, now, his 

 obedient servants. 



We need not go back to nursery tales or 

 the days of mythology to excite our imagina- 

 tion with the deeds of giants and demigods. 

 We live in the days of the giants ; and every 

 day makes us more familiar with them. Here 

 is one, who, in a playful mood rends the solid 

 rocks in the twinkling of an eye. The heavens 

 tremble with the roar of his thunder, and man, 

 shocked by his brilliant light, stands dumb, 

 feeling his weakness. And yet, this is a harm- 



less giant, destined to lend his great power 

 and speed for the service of man. He has, as 

 yet, no competitors on the race course ; for 

 his speed, of which every one who has heard 

 of a telegraph, has some idea, is even greater 

 than that of light ; and completely puts Old Fa- 

 ther Time in the shade. But his gi-eat strength, 

 is, perhaps, not so generally known to your 

 readers, because not so generally used. Let me 

 give, therefore, a single instance, by way of 

 illustration. 



With a small porcelain battery, that could 

 be put into a man's hat, electricity has been 

 produced that has propelled a boat on the 

 Hudson, in the State of New York, with four 

 men in it, and against the current, at the rate 

 of twelve miles an hour. This giant is much 

 stronger than his brother Steam. In fact, 

 there seems to be no measureable limit to his 

 strength. He is also much safer ; for, although 

 very quick, he is not subject to such sudden 

 explosions when in service as the other, whose 

 irascible temper, when ill treated, has cost many 

 a valuable life. 



There is only one hindrance to this powerful 

 helper lending his aid in all the daily avoca- 

 tions of man. That is the great cost attend- 

 ing the construction of batteries. Those of 

 the kind I have mentioned, require platinum 

 in their structure, a metal that is more costly 

 than gold. Whenever science surmounts this 

 difficulty, we shall have the aid freely, of this 

 most powerful friend. The thunders of his 

 voice reverberate now harmlessly among the 

 clouds, as if he were calling upon men to 

 hasten to make use of his mighty strength. 



August 17, 1867. Eldon. 



TRANSPLANTING HOP SUCKERS, 



Since the missing hills of a large number 

 of the last year's planted hop-yards are des- 

 tined to be filled with suckers from the re- 

 maining hills of the same yard this season, 

 and the time for setting is at hand, for the 

 benefit of the inexperienced, a few hints are 

 herewith suggested. 



Those shoots putting forth below the top of 

 the crown, and further down, and in nearly a 

 horizontal course, reaching the surface ten 

 and twenty inches from the main root, are the 

 ones to be selected for planting. The time of 

 planting must not be deferred till the tops of 

 the shoots have reached a growth of more 

 than four or six inches — from one to four in- 

 ches being the best age. Within this period 

 the tops are in the process of leafing, are 

 pulpy, bulky at the base, and taper symmetri- 

 cally to the ends ; the bodies of the roots port- 

 ly, juicy, of a healthy whitish color, supplied 

 with a germ of rough fibres on the most fleshy 

 parts near the base of the tops, with a diminu- 

 tive, shrivelled, rusty appearance at point of 

 juncture with the main roots, denoting but a 

 feeble connective circulation ; explaining the 

 fact already learned by experience, i. e. that 



